News

One coronavirus patient was readmit­ted to the medical facility at St. Maarten Medical Center (SMMC) on June 8 with non-COVID-19-related medical issues, while a second suspected case was admitted to a separate medical facility on the evening of June 9 in criti­cal condition. The suspected case has been tested for …

One coronavirus patient was readmit­ted to the medical facility at St. Maarten Medical Center (SMMC) on June 8 with non-COVID-19-related medical issues, while a second suspected case was admitted to a separate medical facility on the evening of June 9 in criti­cal condition. The suspected case has been tested for …

On Tuesday, June 9th, Melisa St. Hilaire and Eva Lopez Guzman obtained the Dutch nationality during a short ceremony at the Government Administration Building.   The Island Governor read two documents, both in Dutch, individually to each person, after which they took the oath. The candidates had to comply with …

On the islands of the Caribbean Netherlands (Bonaire, St. Eustatius and Saba) more than 1000 laptops arrived last week. OCW employees in the Caribbean Netherlands took care of the distribution of these devices among the schools that applied for them. Minister Slob also enables schools in the Caribbean Netherlands to …

The Hospitainer unit is an addition to Queen Beatrix Medical Centre (QBMC) on Statia and has the capacity to treat six persons at the same time under isolation. Glerum said the Hospitainer is a good example of the cooperation between the Ministry of Public Health, Welfare and Sport, which financed …

The Public Entity Saba welcomes Mr. Justin Simmons-de Jong as the coordinator for goat control, agriculture, and nature. In this role, he will coordinate the Public Entity’s goat control project as well as other upcoming projects in the fields of sustainable agriculture and nature. Justin comes with a diverse background …

The Saba Lions Club will be celebrating its 43rd anniversary today, Saturday. Saba’s Lions Club has been in existence and serving the community of the “Unspoiled Queen” for more than four decades. “We are proud to be a part of the Lionistic global initia­tive under the banner of “We Serve.” …

The Saba Lions Club will be celebrating its 43rd anniversary today, Saturday. Saba’s Lions Club has been in existence and serving the community of the “Unspoiled Queen” for more than four decades. “We are proud to be a part of the Lionistic global initia­tive under the banner of “We Serve.” …

Monday, June 1, marked the start of the 2020 Atlantic hurricane season. “Forecasters predict an active above-average season, and with the COVID-19 pandemic ongoing, we have to think of the reality that planning may be different this year,” Island Governor of Saba Jonathan Johnson said. Despite the impending hurricane season, …

Reminder: *Quarantine numbers continue to go up and down, as people come into the island and when persons have completed their quarantine. *Testing is ongoing.

On Thursday, June 4th , traffic controls were held on Saba checking school buses and taxis. A total of 8 buses and 7 taxis were checked. Drivers of two school buses received a warning because they did not have a first aid kit and fire extinguisher on the bus, and …

The number of active COV­ID-19 cases in Dutch St. Maarten has dropped to one and one person is cur­rently hospitalised at St. Maarten Medical Center (SMMC). According to figures pro­vided by government, as of June 3, there were 18 persons in self-quarantine (-42); two in self-isolation (-1); 470 tested (+2), …

The Dutch Caribbean tropical islands are home to the most diverse and extraordinary ecosystems within the Kingdom of the Netherlands: from pristine coral reefs to rare elfin cloud forest; the spectacular natural world of these islands includes species found nowhere else on the planet. During today’s World Environmental Day with …

July 1 is the earliest date that St. Maarten can reopen its airport to receive visitors, Minister of Tourism, Economic Affairs, Transportation and Telecommunications (TEATT) Ludmila de Weever announced on Wednesday. She cautioned however, that this tentative reopening date is heavily dependent on whether “everything on the island holds steady …

Monday, June 1st: Address Island Governor Jonathan Johnson   GIS.

The successful “containment and neutralisation” of the coronavirus in St. Maarten has led to the deactivation of the country’s Emergency Operations Center (EOC), and the bringing forward of the implementation of Phase 3 of the country’s de-escalation measures from today, Monday, to Saturday last. EOC Chairperson Prime Minister Silveria Jacobs …

KLM plans to resume regular flight operations from the Netherlands to Aruba, Bonaire, Curaçao and St. Maarten in early June. “We want to start up the network further and see demand for tickets to that market. The Dutch would like to go on a summer vacation,” said CEO Pieter Elbers …

Princess Juliana International Airport operating company PJIAE said on Friday that the airport is preparing for a safe and phased reopening to major airlines. While several airlines have scheduled flights to St. Maarten in June, the airport is still awaiting official clearance by government. “Major airlines are keen to resume …

One new active COVID-19 case has been identified on the French side, regional health authority ARS reported on Friday. The patient is isolating at home. However, the overall situation continues to remain stable with two more recoveries bringing total recoveries up to 35. There are no COVID-19 cases in Louis-Constant …

Although our borders are closed medical referrals are ongoing and essential travel. Once someone returns to the island, they will go into quarantine. Strict safety protocols are in place for Specialists as well as essential non-resident travelers. Testing for covid-19 is ongoing for persons ending their quarantine and persons exhibiting …

The Com­mittee for Financial Super­vision CFT concluded in its half-year report that the finances of the public entity Saba are, once more, in or­der. The very limited finan­cial leeway is a challenge for Saba. The CFT report cover­ing July to December 2019 was completed in February 2020 and sent to …

Entrepreneurs and people who have lost their jobs because of the corona crisis will also receive financial support in the coming months. Both the emergency regulation from SZW for support in wage costs and the contribution from EZK for fixed business expenses will be extended by a period of four …

The num­ber of active COVID-19 cases in the country dropped to two as of Tuesday, while the number of persons in self quarantine went up to 64 with three additional per­sons added, figures released by government shows. According to the figures, as of Tuesday, May 26, there were 4 persons …

As of July 1st, 2020 childcare and out-of-school care organizations in Bonaire and St. Eustatius can qualify for a cost-price reducing subsidy. This subsidy is a next step in the BES(t) 4 kids program to make childcare more accessible to parents. With the subsidy, a childcare organization can reduce the parental …

In addition to crime in the physical form, the Dutch Caribbean Police Force also investigates cybercrime developments. Even during these difficult times in which Covid-19 plays a very important role, we continue to monitor this aspect. Data traffic has exploded worldwide due to the growth in the number of people …

Dutch State Secretary of Economic Af­fairs and Climate Mona Keijzer said she is working on solutions to shorten the time it takes for mail from the Netherlands to arrive in St. Eustatius and Saba. In response to written ques­tions submitted last month by Member of the First Chamber of the …

The most frequently occurring criminal behaviour among young people in the Caribbean Netherlands is theft and driving without a driving license. This has emerged from research conducted by the Research and Documentation Centre (WODC). Organizations in the criminal justice chain are positive about the implementation of juvenile criminal law in …

Until April 21st, the COVID-19 update included the line: ‘Number of Persons Tested’. On April 22nd a line was added: ‘Number of Tests Administered’, with a footnote that “some persons are tested multiple times”. Since the May 1st COVID-19 Update the line; ‘Number of  Persons Tested’ has not been published …

Tim Muller, Island Secretary of Saba, was to start as Island Secretary of Bonaire in May 2020. This transfer will no longer take place. The reason for this decision is a combination of the coronavirus crisis situation, Saba’s vulnerability and personal considerations. The decision was taken in close consultation with …

St. Maarten first needs to establish the necessary indicators before it can determine when it can reopen to certain countries, Ministry of Tourism, Economic Affairs, Transport and Telecommunication (TEATT) Secretary-General Miguel de Weever said during an Emergency Operations Center (EOC) press conference on Saturday. He was responding at the time …

As St. Maarten continues to flatten the coronavirus COVID-19 curve, the country had not record­ed any new cases in elev­en days as of Saturday, May 23, and only one case in 24 days. All COVID-19 patients have also been released from St. Maarten Medi­cal Center (SMMC) and of the three …

Friday, May 22nd: Address Island Governor Jonathan Johnson – ‘ 3 positive, 0 active’ Please be patient if you download through a slow internet connection.  

Address of Island Governor Jonathan Johnson on the status of the Covid-19 infections. Please be patient if you download through a slow internet connection. What is the Central Government doing to assist Saba? Commissioner with responsibilities for Social Affairs Rolando Wilson on Friday provided an update on the assistance that …

Although St. Maarten believes that the “take it or leave it,” proposal from the Kingdom government as liquidity support in the form of a loan for St. Maarten, is a “slap in the face” of the country, government has accepted the proposal as long as it does not infringe on …

The Saba Conservation Foundation expresses their sincere appreciation to the Canadian / American / Dutch volunteer team for their dedicated work here on Saba, once again! This year they reconstructed the Middle Island Trail, benched an eroding section of the Spring Bay Trail and at Kelbey’s Ridge, built additional steps …

According to the Law Enforcement Council, the enforcement of nature and environmental legislation needs improvement. Research by the Council has indicated that there is little monitoring and enforcement in the Caribbean Netherlands (Bonaire, Sint Eustatius and Saba). Organizations look at each other and hardly work together. Personnel charged with the …

  Address of Island Governor Jonathan Johnson & Dr. Koen: Please be patient when downloading through sa slow internet connection.  

The Préfecture on Sunday repeated its call for “utmost vigilance” to avoid a resurgence of the coronavirus as two new confirmed COVID-19 cases and two probable cases were confirmed on Saturday. “A new case was confirmed on Saturday which shows the persistence of sporadic cases occurring in the territory,” it …

The sixth emergency ordinance went into effect in Statia at 6:00pm Friday, May 15. Government Commission­er, Marnix in Rij said he had conversed with Deputy Government Commission­er Alida Francis on several occasions about their strat­egy on whether to upscale or downscale the emer­gency ordinance based on strategies of three pillars. …