COVID-19 Update Friday January 14th, 2022

News item | 15-01-2022 | 00:46

Statistics Covid-19 January 14^th:

Number persons tested 93

Number persons positive 16

Number persons in isolation 132

Yesterday: active cases 117, 16 positive casus today and 17 persons recovered.

Total number active cases 132

Vaccination Statistics January 14^th

^{1st Shot 1}

^{2nd Shot 0}

^{Booster 19}

Two hospitalizations on St. Maarten

One hospitalization on Statia

Dear Statian Residents

• Based on the gradual decreasing number of COVID-19 cases, the Public Entity St. Eustatius will ease the measures as of January 17th, 2022. 
• Bars, restaurants, and the casino can reopen their doors however a maximum of 15 persons is allowed to be inside the restaurant. And outside dining is allowed with 50% of the maximum capacity.
• This also counts for schools, day care centres and out of school organizations. They will reopen with a maximum of 15 students per class.
• Supermarkets and other essential businesses can allow a maximum of 10 persons inside at the same time. Smaller shops can allow 5 persons at the same time. This is the same measure that is currently in place.
• Non-essential businesses can reopen as well, such as nail salons, barbershops, and hair salons. This is only possible with an appointment and only one customer at the time.
• These close contact professions must always wear face masks and gloves.

• The non-essentials sector has drawn up a protocol for how they will work in the coming period.

• In addition, we will further work out the details this weekend, what means 50% of the capacity at restaurants and which measures and protocols correspond with this.

Schools

• Schools are allowed to reopen with teachers and students wearing face masks and keeping social distance must be reinforced.
• Only 15 students per class are allowed.
• The use of air conditioning is not possible; proper ventilation will be used instead.
• Regular self-tests for teachers will be introduced.
• Schools are responsible for their own schedule for re-opening.
• Th Public Health Department advises the following:
• Please closely monitor your child/ren health in the coming days.
• If your child has a cold, or flu do not send them to school
• Parents with a vehicle are advised to drop the children to school to prevent crowding on school busses
• Schools are not allowed to administer the self-test on children, but as parents you can. Golden Rock Pharmacy 318-
• As of next week, children 5 to 11 years old can register to get vaccinated: GGD 318-2796 or vaccinationregistration@statiagov.com

Motivation 

• The reason to ease the measures is that the number of positive COVID-19 cases is slowly decreasing.
• Also, the infections are less severe, and the symptoms are generally very mild.
• In addition, the number of persons needing hospital care is very low: less than 2 percent needed hospitalization.
• Statia has currently 132 positive cases which are in isolation
• Also, the request for immediate medical assistance from the Ministry of Health, Welfare and Sports (VWS) in the Netherlands was granted.
• The Auxiliary Home, the Public Health Department and the Queen Beatrice Medical Centre now have sufficient general practitioners, doctors, nurses.

Quarantine and isolation

The Public Health Department will keep the intensity of testing and vaccination high.

• Vaccination will be possible twice a week on Wednesday and Friday and testing is possible daily.
• But the Public Health Department does not see any reason to extend the strict quarantine and isolation measures.
• That is why these measures will be eased as well. After a person is tested positive, isolation of 10 days is mandatory, instead of the current 14 days.
• On The 10th day persons can be released after a negative antigen test. If the test is positive a re-test will be done every 3 days.
• If someone was in contact with a person who tested positive, quarantine of 10 days with an antigen test on the 10th day is required.
• This applies to both vaccinated and non-vaccinated individuals.
• Going into quarantine upon arrival after being in the same airplane with someone who was positive, is not required anymore.
• The Public Health Department has strictly enforced this last category in recent times, also because it was insufficiently clear how contagious the virus was and its effects.

Travel

The entry policy will remain the same until the 1st of February 2022.

• Vaccinated persons are required to go into 5 days monitoring as is the case now.
• An exit test on the 5th day remains in effect as well.
• Non vaccinated person must go into quarantine for a period of 10 days with an exit test on the 10th day

Protocol

• With the easing of measures, the Public Entity of St. Eustatius creates a balance between public health, social life and the continuation of economic life.
• The current protocol of wearing face masks, proper ventilation in all indoor premises, social distancing, and hygiene measures is however still applicable. 
• Social distancing of 1.5 meter, hygienic measures and wearing a face mask should be strictly adhered to when in contact with people and in public spaces.
• Also, proper ventilation both in the work environment as well as in the private environment are important measures to reduce the spread of the virus.
• “While we ease the measures, Statian residents are asked not to let their guard down as Covid is still present on our island.
• We continue to have an individual as well as a collective responsibility to do our part in the fight against COVID’, as I mentioned before,
• These measures will be implemented effective on Monday the 17^th of January 2022! This means that this weekend everyone is still required to adhere strictly to the current protocol/measures. Bars, Restaurants, and non-essential businesses are still closed.

Stakeholder consultation

• The easing of the measures was decided upon after careful deliberation with all stakeholders: the Ministry of Health, Welfare and Sports (VWS), Public Health Department, Crisis Team, Island Council, St. Eustatius Business Association, the Tourism sector, school principals/management and church leaders.
• We have seen first-hand how the Statian community came together these past two week. Most residents have shown great respect for the hygiene and government measures to prevent the further spread of the virus. Because of this we are experiencing a gradual decrease in the numbers.
• Most parents are eager for school to re-open. On the other hand, there is a small group that is still hesitant. Keeping schools closed will have adverse effects on your children’s education. Most children are already expressing the desire to return the classroom environment. As parents you have a responsibility to prepare your child(ren) mentally and emotionally for the return to the classroom setting. When they receive the same instructions at home and at school we are helping them to understand what they can do to avoid becoming infected.  

• The schools will contact parents in the coming days. They will explain in detail their individual re-opening strategy. There is no one size fit all and therefore it is critically important for parents/guardians to lend full support to the schools so that we can navigate this crisis together.
• The schools take this matter seriously and are doing everything possible with the support of the Public Entity, Ministry of Education, Culture and Science (OCW), Education Care (ECE) and Public Health Department (GGD) to ensure a safe school and learning environment for the children of St. Eustatius

In order to put up a real fight against Covid-19 we must work together. Great thanks and appreciation to all frontline workers and volunteers for their hard work and dedication.

A speedy and good recovery is extended to those affected by Covid-19.

We are in this together, Statia!

Let us not get tired!

Let us not get careless!