PHILIPSBURG(DCOMM):--- On June 15th, the Caribbean Cinemas in Cole Bay opened as a temporary replacement of the Belair Community Center. It is open for walk-ins from Monday to Friday from 9:00 AM to 2:00 PM, and will be available until Friday, July 2nd.
Since the start of last week, almost 300 persons got their vaccination at this location, which is smaller than the Belair Community Center but cozy with upcoming movie trailers on several screens and an abundance of parking.
The location already became popular in a few days, with a 12.5% increase in vaccinations compared to the first day. 75% of the people also came for their 1st dose. The Vaccine Management Team (VMT) is very grateful to Caribbean Cinemas for the use of this location, and because of their generous offer, the VMT can continue this life-saving community service during the period that the Belair Community Center is not available. The owner mentioned he thought it was part of their corporate social responsibility to assist wherever they can to fight this pandemic.
This location will remain open for all persons 18 years and up, or 12 years and up with underlying conditions until July 2nd. On July 1st, both vaccination locations will be closed due to the official holiday Emancipation Day. The Belair Community Center will reopen on Monday, July 5th, from Monday to Thursday.
The VMT encourages everyone who has not received their vaccine against the COVID-19 vaccine to make use of the opportunity while it’s still easily accessible and free of charge. You have until July 9th to come for your first dose of the Pfizer vaccine so that you can receive your second dose before the end of July.
The Pfizer vaccine is the very best on the market, and unlike many other countries worldwide, it is available to the population for free. It is scientifically proven safe and effective against the so-called British variant (Alpha), which we know is now dominant on Sint Maarten. The efficacy is also clear as daylight, as countries with higher vaccination levels see their active COVID-19 cases drop steeply. The VMT sees the same happening closer to home, where the active cases, hospitalizations, and COVID-19 related deaths on Sint Maarten are almost 100% unvaccinated persons.
The VMT strongly encourages everyone who hasn’t received their vaccination to get vaccinated as soon as possible. Vaccination will always be a personal decision as it can never be made mandatory, but every decision has consequences, and by choosing not to vaccinate, you endanger not only your own life but also the lives of others.
It’s your choice to take the vaccine, you reduce that chance of being infected with COVID-19 by 95%, which means that the chances of infecting others are reduced by 95%, but even more important, in the slight case (5%) that you are infected, the vaccine protects you against the virus’s severe and possibly deadly symptoms, so you don’t end up in the hospital.
Come for your vaccine and encourage others to do so as well.
Sint Maarten Protected Together.
