Bonaire’s COVID-19 situation is being closely monitored by the government.
In the latest press conference Wednesday, Lieutenant Governor Edison Rijna discussed Bonaire’s COVID-19 situation regarding the relatively high numbers, the clusters of active cases, and the hospitalizations. For the time being, Bonaire will stay at risk level 2.
Here is a transcript of the speech from Lt. Governor Rijna.
At the moment, we have a lot of COVID-19 cases on Bonaire. Today there are 107 active cases of COVID-19, and six people have been hospitalized on Bonaire. One patient is in the hospital on Curaçao. The number of cases is stable but very high.
In recent weeks, most people have contracted infections in schools, childcare, at home, and work. In the past seven weeks, there were 13 clusters, so groups of infections in schools and childcare. It concerns children under the age of 12. In general, they do not become very ill if they become infected with the virus. They can infect other children, adults, and the elderly in their neighborhood, and that has happened.
Thanks, among other things, to the large number of fully vaccinated people, we do not have to take any serious measures now. In the group of 18 year olds and older, 73.3 percent are fully vaccinated. In the age group of 12 to 18 years, 45.1 percent are fully vaccinated.
These percentages are not yet high enough to stop the spread of the virus because the Delta variant is so contagious. The vaccine protects people from serious illness. A person who has not been vaccinated is 20 times more likely to end up in the hospital if infected compared to a person who has been fully vaccinated.
As the infections increase, people in society wonder when tougher measures will be taken. At the time, we are in a phase where we only take measures that are aimed at the places with the most significant risk of spreading the virus. This way, we don’t have to take heavy measures that affect society as a whole.
We are considering extending the current risk level 2 measures beyond November 1, 2021, and will take more stringent measures if necessary.
The Public Health department is talking with the schools to see what extra measures they can take to ensure that the virus cannot easily spread.
There were also some clusters of workplace infections. That is why I make an urgent appeal to employers to see whether the workplace is healthy enough. To ensure that the workplace is ventilated sufficiently and that the employees can keep 1.5 meters away from each other.
I also want to make another appeal to all employers. We hear from people who should actually be quarantined, but who go to work anyway because otherwise they will not receive a salary. There is an arrangement for this. I would like to remind employers that they can receive money from the Ministry of Social Affairs and Employment for people who have to be quarantined, so that the staff can continue to be paid.
Take advantage of this arrangement and send your staff home if they have to quarantine on the advice of Public Health. I would also like to remind all employers that Public Health determines when a person in isolation has recovered.
Bonaire is now classified as a very high-risk country for our sister islands. The test costs of a return ticket to Curaçao have therefore increased enormously. They are higher than the plane ticket.
We know that many people travel to Curaçao to visit family. That’s why I’m discussing with the other islands to see if we can set different conditions for people who are fully vaccinated in order to lower their testing costs.
We will start working with the corona pass in the near future, where a vaccination certificate, namely the QR code, or a negative test result is requested if someone wants to go to a certain event. We do this to go back step by step to a normal life without major risks of contamination.
We want the same arrangement as the Netherlands for this. Namely that people who have not been vaccinated can test for free. We are currently consulting with the Ministry of Health, Welfare, and Sport to get this done.
In the catering industry, we see that there are places where many people dance outside. This poses a high risk of infection for everyone. We can make these activities safer with a QR code or a test.
As soon as everything has been arranged with the Ministry of Health, Welfare and Sport, we will inform society about this. From October 25, there will be more capacity at the call center to handle requests for the QR code. This can be done by calling 0800-0900.
We urge citizens who have not been vaccinated to keep a distance of 1.5 meters and avoid large groups of people. I want to remind people who are not vaccinated and especially those with a serious illness that they are more at risk of getting infected and getting quite ill. I advise them to get vaccinated.
Of all people admitted to hospital on Bonaire since last September, 75 percent had not been vaccinated. This is the same percentage as in other countries, such as the Netherlands. I trust that we will all continue to take our responsibilities. Let’s keep our distance, follow the applicable rules, and help each other keep Bonaire safe.
(Source: OLB)
