Radio broadcast by Marnix van Rij: Stronger Together

Speech | 25-03-2020

Self-quarantine

At this moment there are no confirmed Covid-19 cases on our island. We do currently have 67 people who are self-quarantined. To date, seven people have been tested for the Covid-19 virus. All tests are negative.  

   Self-quarantine remains an extremely important measure. Individuals are required to monitor their own health for 14 days in order to be sure they are symptom free. Afterwards they are free to engage in daily life as permitted. This is somewhat restricted, due the ‘State of Emergency’ measures which have been enforced since Wednesday the 18th of March 2020.

    In a perfect world, everyone would respect the self-quarantine rules. Many of our fellow citizens are doing so. Unfortunately, some are not. This puts everyone at risk. That is why we have taken the decision to give the police the right to fine and/or take people who are breaching the self-quarantine rules, into custody. This was already the case, but we preferred to use our police force to educate rather than punish individuals. However, this has not stopped the people who refuse to adhere to the law, therefore we are obliged to implement stronger measures effective immediately.

Schools, daycare, afterschool programs

Alida Francis, Deputy Government Commissioner, and myself, have been meeting frequently with school principals and directors of day care and after school programs over the last few days. The meetings have been very constructive. We have been able to keep our schools and day care venues open. Educators and local government felt this was of utmost importance in order to offer our students continuity in their education as well as structure and support during these uncertain times.

    However yesterday, Tuesday March 24th it became clear that due to a limited supply of hygienic materials, it is not possible to keep our schools, day care centers and after school programs open much longer. I have, in direct consultation with all relevant stakeholders, taken the decision to close these establishments due to scarcity of the aforementioned products. We have decided to close all primary and secondary schools and the day care and after school programs solely due to the decreasing supply of hygienic materials and for no other reason. The closures will take effect on Monday March 30th and will last until April 15th 2020. These dates may change, however, due to the rapidly evolving nature of the Covid-19 situation.  Bethel Methodist School is closing earlier (after today) due to exceptional circumstances. I have approved this early closure.

    If we are able to keep Statia Covid-19 virus free and are successful in getting the required hygienic products and the schools and day care centers are thoroughly cleaned, we plan to open again on April 15th. This will mean students have only one week of ‘at distance’ education as the one-week Easter vacation falls in this timeline.

     On a positive note, schools have worked out comprehensive contingency plans to ensure our children are able to continue following their education at a distance. This will be done online where possible. We are aware that not every family has a computer or internet at home. Eutel has generously offered to provide internet installation at a discounted rate or if household has a fixed telephone line connection, they will add the internet installation free of charge. This will be available to households with children enrolled in elementary and secondary schools who have to take exams. Eutel will see what they can offer other students as well. They are incredibly generous in helping our students continue learning.

    We are aware that these closures will impact our island in a profound way as parents must either stay away from work to supervise their children or find alternative day care options. This also means that our local economy will be put under pressure. We are fully aware of this and are doing our best to lessen the impact of this difficult, but necessary decision. 

Oil Terminal (GTI)

We have been working closely with GTI and the different stakeholders doing business through GTI; shipping agents, Harbor Inspector and Harbor Authority, as well as the Public Health Inspectors (GGD). Everybody agrees that ‘safety comes first’. A task force was formed last week and on Monday 23rd March, they presented their new stricter protocol. They all agree it will help keep our island safe. The reason this is important is that ships come from abroad to our waters. All contact with other people must be minimized and proper hygiene is essential. GTI and relevant stakeholders have been fully cooperative and are already adhering to the new protocol. I will officially endorse the new protocol under the ‘State of Emergency’ measures and the Public Health Department (GGD) will enforce them.

Harbor

The harbor is open for cargo vessels to import food and general supplies. This is of utmost importance because this is how we keep food on the shelves of our supermarkets and essential products in our stores. The people working at the harbor are doing a fantastic job and continue to offload supplies and deliver outgoing cargo in a safe and hygienic manner. They have very strict measures to adhere to in order to prevent contact with crew on foreign vessels.

   To be clear, there are no people allowed to come to Statia through the harbor. That means, no one from the oil tankers, yachts, sail boats or fishing boats (except the fishermen who are working) are allowed to access our island. This has been the case since March 18th.

Airport

Sunday the 22nd of March was the last day of airlift between Statia and surrounding islands. Flights are only allowed if they pertain to emergency medical evacuation. Acute and emergency medical referrals will be allowed to depart the island. This will remain in effect until at least April 6th 2020, or until further notice.

     The airport will remain open and operational, with reduced personnel, as flights will need to be accommodated quickly due to their emergency status.  

    Only medical and aviation personnel necessary to Statia’s safety will be permitted to access the airport and this will be done following all relevant protocol under supervision of our local health department (GGD).

Hospital / Medical

Our hospital is open but only for emergency cases. If you have health concerns, please call your general practitioner or dial 912 directly. Do not come to the emergency room.

The hospital is also currently building an isolation room.

   Bonaire will have an increased medical capacity for intensive care. A container fully equipped with 6 Intensive Care Units (ICU) is on its way to Bonaire. It will be operational in the first part of April. There will also be an extra 11 medical specialists and 2 air ambulances available. The ICU container is destined to help all of the BES islands. This expansion of medical capacity will directly help St. Eustatius and Saba in the event that Covid-19 makes an appearance on our islands.

    I would also like you to know that I am in constant contact with the Dutch Government in Hague and am trying to secure a Marine medical ship to be sent to our waters. Together with the Governor of Saba, Johnathan Johnson, I submitted an official request last week. If this request is honored, the ship will be stationed nearby St. Eustatius, Saba and St. Martin. This would be very useful in the event of an outbreak in the windward islands. We hope this is not going to happen and are doing everything to avoid this scenario, but it is important to be as prepared as possible. Your well-being is our primary concern.

General

STUCO has full water tank and there is enough gas on the island for the coming weeks. There is to be no rationing now or in foreseeable future.

 Our supermarkets and shops are well stocked. Please shop according to your regular habits. Do not buy extra provisions. This will help us keep enough supplies available for everyone. Remember that cargo ships are coming regularly. There are enough provisions on our island, and we have a large reserve of dry goods.

    A Covid-19 CARE FOR CHILDREN campaign started yesterday, March 24th. This campaign provides parents with ideas and tools on how to safeguard their children’s emotional health and possible trauma which they could develop. In this age of ‘over information’ much of what is being circulated through social media and amongst friends and families is not correct and even seriously flawed. The impact which frightening messages can have on our children is immense. It is, therefore, essential to check your sources of information before sharing it with anyone. Be mindful of what you discuss in front of your children. Fear can create trauma in our children, and this is unacceptable. In order to be sure Statians have the correct information, Alida Francis and myself have decided to address you, our fellow islanders, by radio every evening at 7p.m. on Statia Radio at 92.3 FM for the next week.

Easter celebration

It is with much regret that I have taken the decision to cancel all Easter Celebrations. I understand that this is culturally a very important celebration on the island. I have no choice, however but to cancel due to the ‘State of Emergency Measures’ which are in force at the moment. It would be irresponsible and potentially dangerous to allow the celebration to go through as it groups 500-600 people on the beach in lower town and lasts 4 days. We cannot afford to take any risks in this regard. We must sacrifice this event this year in order to safeguard all the Easters to come. Please understand how difficult it is for me to give you this message.

     Dear fellow Statians, as you know, I began my tenure as Government Commissioner of St. Eustatius on February 15th 2020. My wife, Courtney and I, came to the island intent on serving St. Eustatius. Little did we know that our world would be hit by a pandemic of epic proportions. I had been told that the people of St. Eustatius are resilient and prepare for natural disasters on a regular basis due to its location in a hurricane region. I now see how incredibly organized you are and how well you work together. I am learning so much from you and thank you for continuing to support each other and your local government. I am humbled to be assisted by such a dedicated group. People from the public health department, doctors and nurses, workers in auxiliary homes, the police department, fire department, KMAR, airport workers, harbor employees, local business owners, schools, day care centers, entrepreneurs of all types. Actually, the whole population have banded together to get us through this crisis.

   I believe that it is of utmost importance that we stay together now more than ever. Even though we are required to keep ‘social distancing’ in mind while engaging with each other, we can unite emotionally. Covid-19 is a virus which has created fear due to the fact that we do not understand it and do not know how long it will last. That is why I am calling on you to stay together with your loved ones. You can do this by being there to listen to them, ask how they are feeling, encouraging them when they are sad or afraid. Social media should not be used to put other people down and scare each other with fake news. Social media is the perfect way to keep in touch without physically touching. Send your friends positive messages, post interesting and good news on Facebook. Share government updates with others who are not online, facetime your friends and family. Take this time to connect with people who you love but don’t always have the time for. Remain upbeat and positive.

 Fear is more contagious than any virus.

We are stronger together,

In solidarity and hope,

I remain your faithful Government Commissioner,

Marnix van Rij