Author: The Publisher

CAY HILL — St. Maarten Medical Center (SMMC) is preparing for more suspected or confirmed COVID-19 patients that need to be admitted to the hospital. Based on case studies and data analysis from other COVID-19 countries where communal spread has occurred, estimates on the actual number – not to be confused with the reported number – of infected persons in the community can be forecasted based on the mortality rate and the doubling in cases over a specific number of days. COVID surge and pre-existing conditions As per April 7th, 2020 SMMC has admitted 12 COVID-19 related patients since the…

OYSTER POND — Late Monday afternoon authorities sent a container truck with containers to block off the border at the Oyster Pond frontier crossing after the border in Cupecoy had been blocked off earlier in the day and checkpoints set up at the Cole Bay/Bellevue and Dutch/French Quarter border crossings. The reason why the frontier border in Oyster Pond was still open during the day was unknown as both borders in Cupecoy and Oyster Pond were to be blokkaded. See news report below from Sunday, April 5, 2020. StMaartenNews.com managed to obtain photos and video footage just as a container…

While exploring the supposedly deserted streets of Dutch St. Maarten for a media report, we encountered several homeless persons, some more aggressive in their approach than others, despite there being a complete around-the-clock 24-hour lockdown. One of the homeless person was a man asleep on the sidewalk in the vicinity of the Kruythof roundabout in Cole Bay. We are equally shocked and saddened to see that despite the warnings of the prime minister to stay home, a homeless man was left to his own devices on the streets of St. Maarten. We really hope this corona-crisis teaches our government to…

PHILIPSBURG – De lockdown vanwege het coronavirus heeft tot een golf van ontslagen of inhoudingen op het salaris geleid. “Er is een soortgelijke situatie als na orkaan Irma, toen tal van werkgevers hun personeel benadeelden. Werknemers die hun zaak voor de rechter brachten, kregen gelijk,” zegt advocaat Cor Merx. Hij adviseert: “Maak gebruik van de tijd die je nu hebt om je werkgever een brief te schrijven.” Een arbeidsovereenkomst is bindend: zowel de werknemer als de werkgever moet zich aan de gemaakte afspraken houden. Deze overeenkomst kan niet eenzijdig worden beëindigd, tenzij er een ‘dringende reden’ is die ‘onverwijld’ wordt…

PHILIPSBURG — The coronavirus lockdown has led to a wave of layoffs or salary deductions. “This is a similar situation to Hurricane Irma, when many employers did not pay their employees. Employees who brought their case to court were proven right,” says attorney Cor Merx. He advises, “Take advantage of the time you have now to write a letter to your employer.” An employment contract is binding: both the employee and the employer must adhere to the agreements made. This contract cannot be terminated unilaterally unless there is an “urgent reason” that is “promptly” communicated so that the employee can…

By Hilbert Haar “Unity (as of a group or class) that produces or is based on community of interests, objectives, and standards;” That’s how the Merriam-Webster dictionary defines solidarity. Ah, I did not need the dictionary to understand what this term means: in times of crisis you help each other to the best of your abilities and as far as resources available to you will allow. So if you have, say 100 and someone in distress has 1 and you need 50 to survive, you are able to give away 49 or 50 without losing any sleep over it. The…

~ Covid-19 Update – St. Maarten ~ PHILIPSBURG — All food suppliers are allowed to make deliveries on both sides of the the island (Dutch and French sides) as of tomorrow, Tuesday, April 7, to clients, including smaller grocery stores, and shipments to the neighbouring islands. Deliveries are also allowed to individual clients (read residents) who can make orders online, via WhatsApp or telephone. The contact telephone numbers and e-mails will be published by government within short for residents to access grocery stores/supermarkets nearest to their homes for only urgently needed items.This delivery service is only for essential items, not…

Solidarity is defined as: unity or agreement of feeling or action, especially among individuals with a common interest; mutual support within a group. In a recent article by Kathryn Jean Lopez for the National Review, she said ‘to stand in solidarity with the vulnerable is to become vulnerable’. The people of St. Maarten, like people all over the world right now are vulnerable. Vulnerable to disease and death and vulnerable to the certain economic recession this pandemic will bring in the months and years to come. The number of deaths have shown the absolute poor state of our health care…

PHOTO CAPTION: Broadcasting the word per speaker in the different districts and shanty towns on the Dutch side of St. Maarten in the different languages English, Creole and Spanish was the objective of a speaker car that toured the Dutch side of St. Maarten, starting in Cape Bay today, as can be seen the above photo. Photo provided by DCOMM. Publisher’s Note: The recordings that were broadcasted via the speaker car in the various districts were made in English, Spanish and Creole. For a copy of these recordings – in order to distribute them via social media to your family…

MHF opens a Mental Health Support line – Call 311 CAY HILL — The Mental Health Foundation understands that many persons are confronted with elevated stress levels during this global Covid-19 pandemic. The consequences of this pandemic can take a toll on our mental health. The World Health Organization established that mental health is a human right and services should always be available near and within the community. MHF supports the WHO stance and is, therefore, opening the support line. Since COVID 19 is preventing access to our regular care services, the foundation has decided to become more accessible through…