GREAT BAY, Sint Maarten (DCOMM) – Prime Minister Silveria Jacobs said on Sunday that the country has two confirmed positive cases of coronavirus COVID-19, and both are in mandatory self-isolation at home and are recovering.
The first confirmed positive case came via the UK-Miami to the island and the second was a student returning from New York. The Collective Prevention Services (CPS) over the weekend collected forms that were filled in by incoming passengers with residency on Sint Maarten, and an overview of the information
was provided to the Emergency Operations Center (EOC) on Monday.
These were the last flights to bring Sint Maarten residents back home before the closure of the country’s airspace on Sunday midnight for incoming passengers.
These persons had to register with CPS and as such have done so.
Totals as of: March 20 March 23
– Self-quarantined 42 322
– Self-isolation 40 57
– Suspected cases 13 22
– Positive 1 2
– Negative 9 12
– Pending 3 8
The numbers on Friday, March 20 were as of 8:00pm and by March 23 increased to final totals up to that day. The number of self-quarantined persons are mainly returning residents who have to stay confined at home.
The spike from 42 to 322 comes from all those returning over the weekend who have been compliant and registered with CPS to be monitored, and we appreciate their compliance.
The self-isolation cases are those who have dialed 914 as a result of the public awareness campaign and are being monitored for symptoms.
The suspected cases are a subset of the self-isolation cases (13 of the 40 persons) by Friday (22 of the 57 persons) by Monday.
Tests are being run by Institute Pasteur in Guadeloupe and we are currently awaiting tests on eight patients.
We ask the community to remain vigilant with hygiene practices throughout the day, remain indoors at home as much as possible.
Those that returned from abroad, while CPS has access to the flight manifest, it would be a gesture of good faith to call, register and email the form to CPS – surveillance@sintmaartengov.org – in order to be monitored even if you have no symptoms as this time or call 914 for more information, Prime Minister Hon. Silveria Jacobs said on Monday.
