Once again, Aruba will have a curfew that will go in at 12:00 am on Sunday the 22nd of August and last till the 1st of September. This drastic decision was made today when the Prime Minister announced that the measures must be increased in order to stop the spread and lower the number of cases immediately.
The situation in the hospital is critical. An urgent meeting with the Crisis Team took place yesterday night to see how the matters currently stand. The main issue that must be solved concerns personnel. During moments we are in need of personnel, there are no qualified groups ready to help. We also noticed that St. Maarten and Curacao are in the same boat as us.
Prime Minister Evelyn Wever-Croes made a petition through The Netherlands in an attempt to garner international reinforcements, and last weekend we managed to get a group of reinforcements. During the course of today, we will receive more personnel.
ARUBA’S HOSPITAL MAKING STEPS
All specialists were asked to come help, to set their work aside for now, and to come aid with the COVID patients. ImSan was also asked to cooperate. All usual operations that would be taking place at the hospital as well as at ImSan had to be put on hold in order to make everyone available to help. The hospital has informed us that the situation is still under control, which is crucial. There is no need to panic yet, but we are not far off.
The situation for those who work in the hospital is a lot to handle. These are the times during which we have to show our solidarity with the professionals who give their all to help us.
The hospital states that they are not giving code black, which is the most critical state of emergency. When the situation gets to that point, the time to decide who gets to live and who does not, comes into play.
“Things are still under control”, Wever-Croes emphasized. The hospital ensured us that there are still options. As long as the option remains to send patients to Colombia to save their lives, we will take it. It is for that reason that the following measures have been taken.
THE MEASURES
As previously mentioned, at midnight on the 22nd of August, the curfew will be reinstated. The curfew starts at 10:00 pm and lasts until 5:00 am.
With this, business closing hours will now be 9:00 pm to 5:00 am, no exceptions.
As for restaurants, they will now be allowed to serve a maximum of four people per table, whether it be inside or outside. The gathering ban will also go into full effect and last 24 hours every day. You are also not allowed to have visitors at home. commercial capacity for clients inside establishments has been limited to 50% capacity, which will apply to places such as the cinemas, Cas di Cultura, stores, funerals, and churches, amongst other things.
Sports will be limited to training alone and no competitions.
Other safety measures will continue as usual, such as the use of facemasks, the alcohol ban, and maintaining your social distance.
