PHILIPSBURG:--- The St. Maarten/St. Martin Christian Council takes note, much to its dismay, of the recent decision by Government and the SCDF to host carnival 2021. While this annual cultural event has much-needed revenue capacity and can be a de-stressor for some, the health risk far outweighs those benefits and the public's health must be the nation's top priority.
With a new variant/strain of the virus in Aruba and a suspected case as close as Martinique which is fifty percent more contagious than the first, now is not the time to relax our protocols and endanger the population with reckless and quite possibly intoxicated behavior.
In addition to the recent developments of sponsors pulling out and respected local medical personnel speaking up, the Council joins with these dissenting voices calling on the relevant authorities to cancel carnival 2021 and all other activities with large groups.
The Council salutes and expresses gratitude to the front liners for their service and calls on the population to stay safe.
