In recent days, rumors have been circulating on social networks WhatsApp and Facebook concerning in particular, a generalized containment plan and the massive arrival of soldiers in Saint-Martin in order to force the population to be vaccinated. Rumors immediately denied by the Prefecture of the Northern Islands.
These rumors concern:
• The existence of a generalized containment plan for the island carried by the Ministry of Overseas Territories and the prefecture;
• The massive arrival of soldiers in both parts of the island in order to force the entire population to be vaccinated;
• The fact that people currently hospitalized in hospital would have been vaccinated.
These rumors are unfounded. The author was identified by the police to whom he admitted to having lied. Legal proceedings against him will be initiated. This type of statement endangers the action of State services in the fight against Covid-19, but above all, obscures the reality of the situation:
• The significant increase in positive cases in Saint-Martin and Sint Maarten over the past three weeks;
• 4 deaths of Saint-Martin residents over the past week (3 at the Louis-Constant Flemming hospital center and 1 evacuated to the Guadeloupe CHU);
• The growing concern of health professionals about the increased circulation of the virus and the appearance of serious forms leading to death.
The false information disseminated in recent days is derived from facts unrelated to their interpretation. The soldiers who recently arrived in Saint-Martin are those from the army health service who came to reinforce the Red Cross teams at the vaccination center and the soldiers pre-positioned for the hurricane season.
Neither the French overseas ministry nor the prefecture have a plan for the development of measures in the coming weeks. The only data guiding the State's action are the level of occupancy of hospital beds, the number of serious forms and deaths linked to Covid, the number of new Saint-Martin cases on June 1 per week and the positivity rate. Improving these rates will naturally lead to a return to less restrictive measures, the objective of all the actors involved in the fight against the epidemic.
Faced with the sharp increase in cases across the island for three weeks, the only effective response is a strict application of barrier gestures and a collective mobilization in favor of vaccination. The number of people vaccinated today remains too low in the territory, although it is the most effective tool to protect populations against Covid-19.
Four Covid deaths have been deplored for ten days (3 last week and one this week) and 12 people are hospitalized. The effectiveness of vaccines is demonstrated as its impact on reducing the epidemic. The island of Saint-Barthélemy, massively vaccinated, has not experienced the same epidemic rise as the territory of Saint-Martin.
The prefect reminds the population that the Galisbay vaccination center is available to residents without an appointment. He also congratulates the initiative of several hospital or general practitioners on the island, who encourage vaccination in our territory, in particular for the most vulnerable populations.
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