STATIA – The Public Entity of St. Eustatius will implement additional measures to further prevent the spread of COVID-19 on the island. All residents are required to remain indoors between sunset (6.30 PM) and sunrise (06.00 AM). During this time only employees of vital services will get an exemption to be on the streets. Social gatherings of any number of persons are not allowed anymore.
Essential businesses such as the supermarkets, the pharmacy, the hospital, the airport, the harbor, GTI, construction sites etc., are allowed to be open between 07.00 am and 06.00 pm. Supermarkets may only allow 10 persons each time and only 1 person per household can enter the supermarket.
Restaurants can only be open for delivery between 07.00 am and 06.00 pm. Take-out is not possible anymore. Within these hours, also convenient stores, bakeries, and butchers can be open.
Exempted from curfew are the police, fire brigade, medical staff, security staff, members of the government crisis team, airport staff, and employees of STUCO and EUTEL in case of a breakdown in their services.
The additional measures were discussed and agreed upon within the Island Support Team (Eilandelijk Bijstands Team, EBT).
Social distancing of 1.5 meter should be strictly adhered to, and the Public Entity strongly advises everyone to wear a facemask at all times. As a large employer, the government makes wearing a face-mask mandatory for their employees. By implementing this measure, the Government hopes to see that other employers will follow this example.
The Public Entity, the hospital and the auxiliary home have requested immediate medical support, material, and medical staff from the hospital in St. Maarten and Bonaire. Support and material were also requested from the Ministry of Health, Welfare and Sports (VWS) in the Netherlands. Preparations to have support and material available on a short notice are in full progress.
All efforts of the Public Health Department are now focused on contact tracing and contact sourcing of the positive tested persons. There are no additional positive cases at this time.
