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Three new patients who are highly suspected of having contracted the coronavirus COVID-19 were admitted to St. Maarten Medical Center (SMMC) on Friday night. The three patients include one person from Saba and all three are in stable condition. The three new hospitalizations bring the total number of COVID-19 related patients (suspected and confirmed) at SMMC, to four. One patient remains in critical condition.
Prime Minister and Chairperson of the Emergency Operations Center (EOC) Silveria Jacobs said in a national address on Saturday evening that there had not been much changes in the remaining COVID-19 figures. There are 136 persons in self quarantine; 194 in self isolation (persons with symptoms); 134 tested; 50 positive (34 males and 16 females); 82 negative; 4 pending results (three of whom are hospitalized) and one case is inconclusive. A total of five persons have recovered from the virus and nine have passed away.
Jacobs said authorities had been unable to engage in testing locally as “not enough” testing kits are available and the kits that had been expected to arrive in the country on Saturday did not come as expected. She did not say when they are now expected to arrive and how many are expected. As a result, tests are currently being sent to Guadeloupe.
In the meantime, on April 10, a meeting was held with the Ministry of Public Health, Welfare and Sports in the Netherlands regarding the Hospitainer (additional containers used to increase the Intensive Care Unit ICU capacity in St. Maarten). A list of necessities based on assessment for the Hospitainer is being compiled for possible shipping with the containers which are scheduled to arrive on April 18 and April 23, by airfreight via Maastricht in the Netherlands. The Hospitainer will also come with 3 staff for installation purposes who will arrive on KLM via Curacao.
The Daily Herald.