~ New agreement reached on Monday. ~
PHILIPSBURG: ---- Minister of Health and Labor Omar Ottley has extended the agreement with the Aspen Medical International (AMI) team on Monday. The government of St. Maarten has reached an agreement where the team consisting of 25 staff members will remain on St. Maarten to continue managing the COVID-19 pavilion at the St. Maarten Medical Center, Ottley said.
In an invited comment Minister Ottley said that an agreement was in place for the team to begin decreasing its staff in the month of September 2021, which was to take place every two weeks, he said seeing the current situation on St. Maarten and the drastic increase in coronavirus cases it has been decided to have the 25-member team remain until October 1st then another re-assessment will take place.
Ottley said when the AMI arrived on St. Maarten in April 2020, there were 40 members consisting of nurses and doctors who provided care at the COVID-19 pavilion at SMMC.
In the meantime, the Minister of Health continues to urge members of the public to take the COVID-19 vaccination since it is the only way to fight the coronavirus.
