The decree of July 10, 2020 provides for the territories with active circulation of the Covid virus to be included in its annex 2. The territory of Saint-Martin in view of the evolution of its degraded health situation has been included on this list since August 27, 2020 This registration has several legal consequences and in particular additional resources granted to the prefects to fight the epidemic, protect the populations and promote the conditions for recovery.
It is in this context that a meeting "State of the Covid situation in the territory of Saint-Martin" mobilized on September 1 in the premises of the prefecture, the Collectivity of Saint-Martin, its president Mr. Gibbs, the first vice president, Mrs. Damazeau, the local representative of the ARS by interim, Mr. Godefroy, the director of the hospital Mrs. Lampis, the commander Basso of the Gendarmerie and the secretary general of the prefecture.
The first objective of this meeting was to share the point of the health situation of the territory. Mr. Godefroy, acting director of the ARS recalled the figures.
The territory has 153 active cases. Among these 153 people, 18 are hospitalized including 3 in intensive care in Guadeloupe, 135 people are confined to their homes. The number of people who have died from Covid in Saint-Martin is now 7, including 1 last week.
These figures have been steadily increasing since the start of deconfinement and proportionally place the territory of Saint-Martin among the most affected nationally.
Ms. Lampis, director of the hospital indicates that the entire medical service is currently reserved for Covid cases. Half of the resuscitation beds at the Guadeloupe hospital center are occupied by Saint-Martin residents.
In this context, if the prefecture is associated with the wish of elected officials of the community to quickly find conditions specific to a normalized social and economic life, by stopping border controls, it recalls that this objective is under- aimed at a positive development of the health situation.
Any slackening in the face of the epidemic would erase the efforts made so far by all health actors and the population and delay the ebb of the epidemic, an essential condition for a gradual lifting of preventive health measures.
Thus, in view of the figures observed for covid cases on Saint-Martin, the situation also observed on the Dutch side, border controls and the control of establishments open to the public, in particular bars and restaurants to which it is asked to exercise the highest level of vigilance in the application of barrier gestures, are, at this time, maintained.
The prefecture reiterates that with the limitation of population movements, barrier gestures constitute the best protection that we currently know. The prefecture encourages everyone to implement them and strongly encourages the use of the mask.
It is through a common civic engagement against the virus that we will be able to overcome this epidemic and revive the economy of the territory.
It's understood