PHILIPSBURG, Sint Maarten — Member of Parliament Elect Omar Ottley urges The Health Department, The Princess Juliana International Airport, and The Port of St. Maarten to pay keen attention to the rapid spread and growth of the Wuhan Coronavirus.
The Coronavirus was first identified in Wuhan, Hubei Province, China mid December 2019. The virus has since spread to Europe, the US, and Australia; infecting more than 1300 worldwide. The first recorded case in the US was in Washington State on January 24, 2020.
Our economy thrives off of tourism and this crisis cannot be looked upon blind eyed, with an annual average of 2 million cruise passengers and with hundreds of thousands of tourists entering The Princess Juliana International Airport yearly, we should have a plan of action in place.
Let’s act on this matter and execute some preventative measures to safeguard the people of our country. We should continue to educate our community on the threats that affect the world and take the necessary steps accordingly. In such situations “ Prevention is better than cure,” he added.
