Bonaire has eliminated most of the COVID-19 measures and welcomes the Dia di Rincon celebration.
Bonaire has steadily seen a decrease in COVID-19 cases, even after the COVID-19 measures were relaxed two weeks ago. Because of this, Dia di Rincon can finally be celebrated for the first time since the pandemic. This is wonderful news for Bonaire!
Below is a transcript of the latest press release from Lieutenant-Governor Edison Rijna
Today I speak to you in a different tone, a tone less worrisome than for the past two years. I am happy to say that the number of people infected with covid has fallen dramatically, even after the measures were relaxed.
Today we have 21 active cases and no people in the hospital because of COVID-19. We can note that the virus is no longer spreading on a large scale on our island at the moment.
As of March 4, 2022, all measures unrelated to travel will be discontinued. This means, among other things, that it is no longer mandatory to keep a distance of one and a half meters or to wear a face mask in public. Keep in mind that owners of shops and other locations can decide which rules apply in their shop, such as wearing a face mask. All sports activities and festivities inside and outside may return to the way we used to know before COVID-19 made its appearance.
Only the basic rules still apply:
- Wash hands regularly
- Cough or sneeze in the elbow
- Have yourself tested in case of complaints
- Keep your house clean and ventilate regularly
From next week we will announce the figures of infections once a week.
The entry conditions will also be further relaxed in the coming weeks to enter Bonaire from abroad. This will be done in consultation with the Ministry of Health, Welfare and Sport in The Hague. We will inform you about the changes as soon as possible.
We can assume that we are entering a new phase where we can return to the old way of life. In this new phase starting tomorrow, I would like to ask everyone to consider the vulnerable people. Our elderly, adults, and children with serious illnesses can become very ill if they become infected with COVID-19. If you are visiting someone in fragile health, please do a self-test first to be sure, and it is also recommended to wear a face mask.
I also want to ask our vulnerable people on the island to get a vaccination or booster shot. The vaccination shots protect against getting seriously ill if you get the virus. In the coming weeks, we will continue to provide information about how we can safely deal with each other.
I hope we can keep the number of infections low. Unfortunately, we do not know in advance whether there will be a new variant or when it will be. That’s not in our hands. What is in our hands is to continue to take good care of ourselves and others. If there is a new variant, we will look again at what is needed and include the experiences of recent years.
It has taken us a lot of time and sacrifices to get to the point where we can let go of the measures. It was a difficult time, with many challenges. I am proud that we could do this, thanks to you. I want to thank everyone in our society who contributed to this from the bottom of my heart. Thanks to our good deeds and actions, we have come to this point. Thank you again for your understanding and the sacrifices you have made for this.
For two years in a row, I had to announce that the celebration of Dia di Rincon could not take place. I am extremely happy to announce that, now that we have no more measures in place, the celebration of Dia di Rincon can continue as we have been used to in the past.
Let’s celebrate together and enjoy that we can go back to the life we were used to a few years ago. Let us also continue to take into account the vulnerable in our society.
