News

Entrepreneurs who are affected by the measures taken in connection with the coronavirus and who have to deal with high fixed expenses, can be eligible for an compensation from the Ministry of Economic Affairs and Climate (Economische Zaken en Klimaat, EZK). The compensation is a one-time payment of $4400. The …

The implementation of various arrangements on tackling trafficking in human beings and the smuggling people in the Caribbean Netherlands needs to be improved. There is insufficient insight on the nature and extent of human trafficking and smuggling. This is the conclusion of the Law Enforcement Council in its inspection report …

St. Eusta­tius has received a hospital container unit that was made available by the Dutch Min­istry of Public Health, Wel­fare and Sport. Government Commissioner Marnix van Rij said the Hospitainer unit was flown in from the Neth­erlands and shipped from St. Maarten to the port of Statia, where it arrived …

Another COVID-19 patient has recovered in St. Mar­tin, regional health agency ARS reported on Wednesday. This brings the num­ber of recoveries to 21. Active cases amount to 12 (three in hospital and nine in isolation at home). Three persons have been repatriated to their countries of origin and two per­sons …

Dutch St. Maarten recorded its twelfth coronavirus CO­VID-19 death with the re­cent passing of a man who was tested post-mortem as having had the highly infectious illness. An ad­ditional positive case has also been recorded, push­ing the total number of positive cases to 73. Prime Minister and Emergency Operations Center …

Persons displaying flu-like symptoms who are refusing to be tested as Collective Prevention Services (CPS) continues its community outreach campaign are forewarned of legal discipline. “CPS continues our fight against COVID-19 and I would like to encourage persons, once you have been approached, to get tested as soon as possible,” …

Prime Minister Silveria Jacobs announced on Wednesday that there are 12 COVID-19 related deaths now on St. Maarten, Jacobs said one person who died in recent days also tested positive. Prime Minister Jacobs said that one person that was on a ventilator at SMMC also lost the battle to COVID-19. …

GIS Saba

Consumers on Saba paid on average 0.4 percent more for goods and services in Q1 2020 year-on-year. This was still 0.8 percent in Q4 2019. In Q1 2020, prices of toiletries were 9.0 percent lower while prices of books and audio and video equipment were higher than one year previously. …

The annual Saba Carnival celebration has been can­celled this year, Island Governor Jonathan Johnson said Tuesday in his daily coronavirus update. Due to “much uncertainty” surrounding the coronavirus COVID-19 pandemic “and what the coming months hold” it was decided to cancel the Saba Summer Festival for this year, he said. …

The number of coronavirus COVID-19 cases in St. Eustatius has dropped to one positive case. There are currently fifteen persons in self-quarantine and two persons in isolation. The number of persons tested in Statia is 19. The number of posi­tive cases has dropped from two to one. The two persons …

Bonaire’s second confirmed coronavirus case was reported by Island Governor Edison Rijna. The person in question has already recovered and is no longer contagious. He or she – after returning from Aruba – had infected the first resident who tested positive. A total of 180 tests have so far been …

A new CO­VID-19 case was reported by regional health authority ARS on Tuesday. This was apparently a woman living on the French side who is isolated at home, according to the ARS bulletin. Active cases have there­fore risen by one to 13 —10 in isolation at home and three in …

Dutch St. Maarten recorded its eleventh coronavirus COVID-19 death when a person lost their battle to the highly infectious illness at St. Maarten Medical Center (SMMC) Monday night. This latest death brings the total number of COVID-19 fatalities in the country to 11. The deceased had been waging a long …

Please note: Today, the numbers aren’t adding up because some people were tested twice. This holds, that the number of tested people stays the same, but the number of tests went up.   Address of Island Governor Jonathan Johnson on the status of the Covid-19 crisis. Please be patient if …

With Saba in a mandatory lock-down since April 12, Island Governor Jonathan Johnson in his most recent message urged people to continue to show understanding and patience in these trying times where everyone experienced occasional frustrations. Johnson informed the people of some developments that would take place on Tuesday, April …

Tadzio Bervoets, interim director of the Dutch Caribbean Nature Alliance writes in a letter to the editorial staff of Koninktijk.nu that it is no coincidence that his native Sint Maarten has one of the highest COVID-19 cases and deaths per capita in the Caribbean. The welfare of citizens has, according …

The Netherlands will start reopening primary schools and daycare centres from May 11 but organised events remain banned until September 1, prime minister Mark Rutte told a news conference on Tuesday evening. ‘This is the maximum we can do at the moment,’ Rutte told reporters. In particular, relaxing the social …

In 2019, the number of visitor arrivals by air on Saba increased by 10 percent relative to the previous year. Tourism across the entire Caribbean region grew by 4.9 percent last year. Just as in previous years, most visitors were from the Netherlands, the United States, and from Aruba, Curaçao …

Due to gov­ernment’s extension of the lockdown, Windward Is­lands Airways International Winair said on Monday that its sales office and call cen­tre will remain closed until May 11, while all scheduled flights remain discontinued until further notice. The airline is still open for charter services. These can be performed every …

The Sec­ond Chamber of the Dutch Parliament wants to secure the input of the people of St. Eustatius on the law pro­posal to restore the govern­ment of the island through an alternative, virtual pro­cess, befitting the situation caused by the coronavirus crisis. The Second Chamber’s Permanent Committee for Kingdom Relations …

St. Maarten recorded one ad­ditional positive COVID-19 case on Monday, April 20, bringing the total number of positive cases to 68 and the current number of active cases to 46. Prime Minister and Chair­person of the Emergency Operations Center Silveria Jacobs said in a national ad­dress on Monday evening that …

The Health Ministry’s Collective Prevention Services (CPS) visited a total of 242 households representing 632 persons during its community outreach programme over the past days. Of those reached, a total of nine persons had flu-like signs and symptoms, but only six consented to be tested. Prime Minister and Emergency Operations …

St. Maarten is looking into the possibilities of obtaining assistance in the form of medical technical assistance from Cuba and China has offered the country assistance in the form of medical equipment to help the country in its battle against the highly infectious COVID-19 disease. Since St. Maarten is part …

Monday, April 20: Address of Island Governor Jonathan Johnson on Covid-19 status. Please be patient when downloading through a slow internet connection. GIS Saba

  Status update and Interview with Public Health Dr. Koen Hulshof:   Its’s an 8 min. interview, so the download could take some time if you have a slow internet connection. GIS Saba

Government-owned companies Princess Juliana International Airport (PJIA), Port St. Maarten and Winair are set to receive payroll support for their staff as part of the St. Maarten Stimulus Relief Plan SSRP), which goes into effect this month. These companies are set to receive assistance because their income is expected to …

St. Maarten has recorded three additional positive coronavirus COVID-19 cases and one additional death, bringing the total number of positive cases to 67 and total deaths to ten. The latest figures bring the number of active cases to 45 (two more than at last count). As of 1:00pm on Sunday, …

Covid-19 status update April 18, 2020 4 more test results in, all negative. Still good news, but this doesn’t mean that we let our guards down. Social distancing, good hand hygiene and the rules of the lockdown and curfew remain in place! GIS Saba

Saba’s black melanistic iguana has been recognized as an endemic species. Although Sabans have a somewhat ambivalent relationship with their local ‘dragon’ which is known to ravage carefully tended veggie gardens, it arguably has been on the island long before humans and thus can claim its indigenous right of peaceful …

Caribbean Netherlands Police Force KPCN of­ficers have been carrying out controls in St. Eustatius and Saba in recent days to check residents’ compli­ance with the ban on social gatherings as mentioned in the emergency ordinances in connection with the coronavirus COVID-19 pandemic. A group of people who were barbecuing on …

The two-week man­datory lockdown in Saba, which went into force on Sunday, April 12, has been extended with immediate effect to include essential workers with a pass. All persons must now remain at home daily from 7:00pm to 6:00am, Island Governor Jonathan Johnson said Fri­day in his daily coronavirus COVID-19 …

The public entity St. Eustatius, in close collaboration and consultation with the Health Insurance Office ZVK and the Public Health Depart­ment GGD, has introduced a protocol outlining the procedure and rules under which persons can be grant­ed permission to enter the island. This protocol is in effect for the period …

A Queen Beatrix Medical Centre ambulance entered F.D. Roosevelt Airport in St. Eusta­tius on Friday, April 17, for the evacuation of a patient to St. Maarten. Shortly afterwards, an air ambulance touched down at the airport to transfer another emergency patient to Bonaire. Emergency flights and cargo shipments are the …

WYCCF to provide assistance to SMMC St. Maarten’s confirmed cases of COVID-19 have increased by one push­ing the total number of cases to 64 as of Friday, April 17. Epidemiologist and Head of Collective Pre­vention Services (CPS) Eva Lista-de Weever said during a press con­ference on Friday eve­ning that all …

The amphibious assault helicopter carrier Dixmude began offloading medical equipment for Louis-Constant Fleming Hospital on Friday morning following its arrival in St. Martin waters on Thursday. Helicopters were seen landing on the pitch of Jean-Louis Vanterpool Stadium delivering materials from the aircraft carrier that were picked up by the soldiers …

The Dutch Caribbean countries have barely complied in the past with agreements to realise balanced and timely budgets, to improve financial management and invest in good government. For this reason, the Kingdom government will set extensive conditions for additional financial assistance. State Secretary of Home Affairs and Kingdom Relations Raymond …

The state of emergency St. Maarten is currently under to help mitigate the spread of the coronavirus COVID-19 pandemic is proposed to be extended by another three weeks. Prime Minister and Emergency Operations Center (EOC) Chairperson Silveria Jacobs said the national decree to extend the state of emergency is still …

The Mobile Medical Pavilion (MMP) and the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) hospitainer at St. Maarten Medical Center (SMMC) are now fully operational. SMMC said on Friday that the next step is to begin preparing the transfer of COVID-19 care to this area outside SMMC, for the hospital to allow regular …

Two more COVID-19 cases were reported for St. Martin by regional health authority ARS on Friday, but at the same time there were two recoveries. The two latest cases are isolated at home. The number of active cases is 13 [and – Ed.] has therefore not changed; eight at home …