A room in the Hospitainer designated to treat patients infected with the COVID-19 virus.
~ Lockdown or curfew under consideration ~
ST. EUSTATIUS--Government Commissioner Marnix van Rij stated during a radio broadcast on Thursday evening that St. Eustatius has three more persons infected with COVID-19.
He said this
was a bad development, but the news was compounded by the fact that the new infected persons are healthcare workers – two employees of Queen Beatrix Medical Center and one employee of St. Eustatius Auxiliary Home, the residence for Statia’s elderly.
In total there are six positive cases of COVID-19 on the island. A total of 93 persons are in quarantine at present.
An ordinance with conditions to limit the spread of COVID-19 was signed by Van Rij on Tuesday and went into effect the same day.
In addition to the new ordinance, “We are seriously considering taking the following measures as soon as possible which could include either a total lockdown or a curfew.” Van Rij said that either of those measures are a possibility, as the public entity St. Eustatius looks at the potential further development of the virus on the island.
The possibility of introducing a lockdown or a curfew will be discussed today, Wednesday, during a meeting between the public entity and the Island Support Team.
The island government submitted a request to the Ministry of Public Health, Welfare and Sport in the Netherlands on Tuesday night to obtain additional support, or at least to make sure that support is ready if the need arises, whether this includes additional nurses, doctors or medical capacity.
“It is of utmost importance that we remain calm and follow instructions from the local health department,” Van Rij said. He reminded that COVID-19 is a serious disease which has been developing globally during the past eight months with mild cases and with people displaying serious symptoms.
“Unfortunately, the virus is more threatening to certain people and these people have to be protected, including our elderly and people with pre-existing medical conditions,” Van Rij said.
He said the island government’s focus in the upcoming days and weeks will be on a “plan of attack” which will include the input of relevant stakeholders.
