PHILIPSBURG:--- Member of Parliament Omar Ottley states that the only way for St. Maarten to get through the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic is with all stakeholders being involved. Ottley urges the business community, the schools and residents of St Maarten to continuously promote good hygiene.
Ottley is also emphasizing on the importance of getting tested for the coronavirus (COVID-19). Dutch, St. Maarten currently has zero confirmed cases but is this really it or is it because we do not test for the virus locally? Do not take matters into your own hands and think it may just be the influenza flu. If you are not feeling well, please call your house doctor or CPS at 914 for assistance. Ottley stresses that the only way to be sure is to allow the CPS to conduct a test.
Those who are indeed sick should self-quarantine to eliminate the risk of spreading the illness to others. The business community is asked to implement measures to test workers' temperatures and be attentive for excessive coughing and sneezing of employees and walk-in customers. Schools are asked to make changes to their regiment to try to limit the student cluster, ex: postponement of all assemblies, splitting of recess time on the playground, and also notify parents immediately if their kids are showing any signs of a cold or flu. Parents should also report to the schools if their kids have been to any of the “blacklisted” countries within the past 21 days.
It is also our civic duty to report persons that may be showing signs or symptoms of the virus and refusing to get tested. We can only get through this if we fight together. Let us not be naive but instead work together to get past this pandemic
