THE HAGUE – Vaccinations are fast on the islands in the Caribbean Netherlands. On Saba, approximately 89 percent of the adult population and almost all healthcare workers have now been vaccinated. On St. Eustatius, more than 30 percent of the population has had an injection and that share will quickly increase.

On Bonaire, 65 percent of the over-60s and healthcare personnel have received a first injection. From the end of this month, all young adults can also make an appointment for a vaccination. The cabinet has decided to speed up vaccination because of the rapidly increasing infections compared to the limited care capacity – there are only 6 ic beds on Bonaire. The number of infections is also high on Aruba and Curaçao. Here, the elderly and vulnerable are currently being vaccinated with the Pfizer vaccine. Younger adults will be next in the coming weeks.

Due to the increasing number of infections, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs has adjusted the travel advice for Curaçao. From now on, a quarantine obligation also applies to Curacao and Aruba. The islands were already on ‘orange’, meaning unnecessary travel is discouraged.