PHILIPSBURG (DCOMM):--- The Collective Prevention Services (CPS), a department of the Ministry of Public Health, Social Development and Labor, commemorates five years since recording its first confirmed COVID-19 case on March 17, 2020.
CPS takes this opportunity to remember those who we lost and at the same time to pay tribute to frontline healthcare workers and other all sectors of society that rallied together to keep our community safe during the pandemic and vaccination campaign.
Reflecting on this time, CPS Department Head Eva Lista-de Weever shared, “The past five years, which were unprecedented for Sint Maarten tested our healthcare and public health infrastructure, economy and way of life. In an instant the world stopped, masks and distancing became the norm, and CPS was thrusted to the forefront to lead our community through many unknowns. While there were many periods of uncertainty, I choose to remember that despite the very long days and sacrifices made, the sense of community, partnership and determination remained strong.”
Since the pandemic, the department continues to advocate for investing in public health infrastructure which includes strengthening disease surveillance and emergency response and increasing the capacity of the public health workforce.
CPS also recognizes the importance of partnerships locally, regionally, and internationally. By maintaining strong relationships with health agencies will help to ensure that Sint Maarten remains better equipped to prepare and respond to future health crises.
While life has returned to pre-COVID normalcy, at the same time, families who have lost loved ones carry grief in their hearts.
CPS would like to thank the community for the partnership and trust placed in the department to safeguard the health and well-being of our community. Your health remains our priority.
A Look Back at COVID-19 on Sint Maarten:
• CPS first announced on January 24, 2020, that it was closely monitoring a new flu respiratory virus Novel Coronavirus (2019-nCoV) in Asia. At that time the Caribbean Public Health Agency (CARPHA) said there were no confirmed cases or reports of the illness in the Caribbean region.
• The World Health Organization (WHO) announced on January 30, 2020, that Coronavirus 2019-nCoV is a Public Health Emergency of International Concern (PHEIC).
• On January 31, 2020, Ministry VSA decided to list the novel Coronavirus (2019-nCov) category A under the Public Health Ordinance (Landsverordening publieke gezondheid) of Sint Maarten. This was done to put necessary public health, surveillance and safety measures in place if cases would be detected on island.
• Throughout the month of February 2020, the Ministry VSA continued to make national and response preparations that are in line with International Health Regulations (IHR) and local health sector regulations (Public Health Ordinance of Sint Maarten) and protocols to prepare for COVID-19.
• On March 1, 2020, the Prime Minister activated the Emergency Operations Center (EOC) in connection with two confirmed cases of the coronavirus COVID-19 on French Saint Martin.
• On March 17, 2020, all international flights and cruises were banned for a two-week period, the first travel restrictions that would later lead to business closures as of March 23, 2020.
• The Prime Minister also announced on March 23, 2020, two positive cases of COVID-19 in the country who were mandatory in self-isolation at home and were recovering. The first confirmed positive case travelled via the UK and Florida to the island and the second was a student returning from New York.
• On March 27, 2020, special measures in extraordinary circumstances to restrict movement were implemented where the populace was told to stay at home. Strict measures were put in place where those who wanted to cross the border on either side of the island were required to present a travel document.
• By the end of March 2020, two people had succumbed to the COVID-19 disease.
• In May 2020, the Government unveiled its Prevention and Safety Plan that would allow the business community to reopen under a four-phased plan after being in lockdown for several weeks. The EOC was de-activated as of May 29, 2020, and phase three for the reopening of the country got underway.
• By mid-June 2020, the country was no longer under a state of emergency or curfew.
• February 22, 2021, the first COVID-19 vaccine was administered to Nurse Claudette Rijff of the White and Yellow Cross Care Foundation. This marked a significant milestone in the pandemic, provided for free to the community.
COVID-19 is now one of the diseases routinely monitored on island by CPS. The department continues to execute health promotion and awareness, disease surveillance and vaccination programs.
The community is encouraged to stay up to date on local public health issues by monitoring CPS’ Facebook page (Collective Prevention Services). For any health information, the community can contact CPS at 914.
COVID-19 was a once in 100-year pandemic, and public health officials are well aware that there will be a next time. This pandemic brought scientists and medical experts from around the world together to learn how to treat the disease and its side effects.
The pandemic has taken a terrible toll on families and communities, and a heavy toll on mental health. At the same time, it has demonstrated our resilience as a community which got us through this very difficult period.
The pandemic has taught us to chart a clear path forward to deal with future pandemics in a collective manner and as a community. Thank you, Sint Maarten, for your resilience and as we pay homage to those who lost their lives.
The WHO announced an end to the pandemic in May 2023 as a public health emergency of international concern.