NA MP Solange Duncan.
PHILIPSBURG--St. Maarten Laboratory Services (SLS) briefed Members of Parliament (MPs) on COVID-19 testing in the country during a Parliament closed-door session on April 16.
The closed-door meeting was requested by National Alliance (NA) Member of Parliament (MP) Solange Duncan.
Duncan said in a press release on Wednesday that the meeting was held with Parliament’s Committee for Health, Labour and Social Affairs VSA committee. SLS Interim Director Dr. Cherina Fleming discussed the process of testing COVID-19 cases in St. Maarten during the meeting.
“Just like many persons in the community, I too had questions and concerns pertaining to the local testing process, the availability of tests, the possibility for mass testing and the costs of such,” Duncan said in the release.
“Testing is crucial for treatment, isolation and hospitalisation of the infected; and because of St. Maarten’s vulnerable healthcare system and the ability to handle a large outbreak, it was important to understand the capacity of SLS Lab and possibilities with testing moving forward.
“Testing plays a major role as it regards national mitigation efforts in helping departments like the Collective Prevention Services (CPS) characterise the prevalence, spread and contagiousness of the disease.”
The closed-door meeting and presentation by SLS allowed for an open and detailed conversation with the lab on various matters. MPs received some “much-needed clarity” on the complexities of testing and reassurance that testing capabilities are improving in St. Maarten and in collaboration with regional and Kingdom partners, as the fight against COVID-19 continues.
Duncan thanked Fleming for her presentation and the work she and her staff continue to execute.
According to research, effective testing will minimise the need for strict lockdown measures in the future, and Duncan urges government to ramp up wide-scale testing.
“As we go into our second month of lockdown and curfew, I would like to commend all those front-line and essential workers who continue to work hard for this country as well as those residents who continue to practise proper hygiene and social distancing. In doing so, I also urge those persons who have flu-like symptoms to isolate themselves and contact their house doctor or call tel. 914,” she said.
“Our country is going through extremely tough economic times and the only way for us to effectively recover is to flatten the curve by slowing the spread of infection no matter the difficulties of this time. However, as a St. Maarten people we must remember that we are resilient and will get through this together.”
