Cordoned off areas in Lower Town Oranjestad for the long Easter weekend.
ST. EUSTATIUS--Residents of St. Eustatius will be able to spend their Easter holidays at the beach in Lower Town Oranjestad as customary, under a special protocol.
The Easter celebrations were cancelled last year due to the declaration of the COVID-19 pandemic by the World Health Organization (WHO).
Deputy Government Commissioner Alida Francis said the Easter weekend is an “integral part” of Statia’s culture. Persons have already started to put markers to cordon off areas in Orange Bay where they plan to set up for the weekend to camp and relax or to sell food and beverages.
Persons from neighbouring islands that have no COVID-19 cases, Saba in particular, can visit Statia for the Easter weekend.
Persons who would like to sell food or beverages in Lower Town must be in possession of a valid food handler’s safety and event permit. For more information they can contact the Government Administration Building at tel. 318-2552 or the Public Health Department at tel. 318-2891.
Visitors are requested not to park on the public road in Lower Town. The area opposite Scubaqua dive centre has been designated for first response personnel, such as the Red Cross, the police and other emergency services. This area must be kept vacant at all times. Two school buses will be provided for public transportation on Sunday, April 4, and Monday, April 5, starting at 11:00am. One school bus will be located at the harbour area and the other at the GTI playground. Experiments with a shuttle service in 2019 were deemed very successful.
Portable toilet facilities will be made available in Lower Town, which can be used for payment of a small fee, “this to ensure that these portable sanitary facilities are kept clean at all times,” Francis said. Garbage collection will also be arranged with Statia Waste Solutions.
The island government is encouraging everyone to remain vigilant. “Even though the island has zero COVID-19 cases, this does not mean we can be careless, and we encourage everyone to be vigilant while having fun in a responsible manner,” Francis said.
