President Louis Mussington went to the Orleans district, this Monday, July 11, to the partner associations which organize the Moho Camp.
The neighborhood associations meet under the aegis of the Symphorien center for integration, to offer activities to young people in the area during the summer holidays, from July 11 to August 20.
The community is a partner in this system. In addition to the associative subsidies, it notably makes available the premises of the number 1 district council and the adjoining car park to facilitate the event.
New Photos President Loui Mussington Moho Camp Saint Martin
❇️ Moho Camp in French Quarter from July 11 to August 20
Children leaving in the area can benefit from this program for 50€ a month and contact the Center Symphorien d’insertion to register : 0690 81 55 96.
New Photos President Loui Mussington Moho Camp Saint Martin
Le président Louis Mussington s’est rendu à quartier d’Orléans, ce lundi 11 juillet, auprès des associations partenaires qui organisent le Moho Camp.
Les associations du quartier se réunissent sous l’égide du centre Symphorien d’insertion, pour proposer des activités aux jeunes du secteur pendant les grandes vacances, du 11 juillet au 20 août.
La collectivité est partenaire de ce dispositif. Outre les subventions associatives, elle met notamment à disposition les locaux du conseil de quartier numéro 1 et le parking attenant pour faciliter l’événement.
❇️ Moho Camp in French Quarter from July 11 to August 20
Children leaving in the area can benefit from this program for 50€ a month and contact the Centre Symphorien d’insertion to register : 0690 81 55 96.
The country has been experiencing some heavy rainfall events during the past couple of days and the Collective Prevention Services (CPS), is calling on residents to help stop the spread of mosquitoes by preventing them from breeding in your backyard or garden after these events.
The best way to manage a mosquito problem is to tackle it at its source: keep the mosquitoes from breeding.
After every rainfall event take action and end the breeding by not letting your home be a breeding site for mosquitoes. Mosquitoes also need to feed in order to reproduce, so avoid being bitten by joining the fight to stop the spread of mosquito-borne diseases.
Source reduction is the key to decreasing the mosquito population. Due to the tropical nature of our climate, breeding habitats are in abundance, and many of them are unfortunately man-made.
A bite by an infectious Aedes aegypti mosquito, spreads diseases such as – Dengue, Zika, Chikungunya, Yellow Fever -, and therefore it is crucial for every household to prevent its breeding.
Mosquitoes can breed in as little as a half-inch of water. This isn’t a lot of water, and plant saucers are one of those unassuming places that can gather a small amount and still be a huge breeding site for your backyard mosquito. Breeding sites include anywhere that water can settle for a certain time undisturbed from garbage to your flowers/plants. This includes tin cans, old tires, empty paint cans, buckets, old saucers, flowerpots, cemetery urns/vase, old pet dishes, unused plastic swimming pools, boats on dry dock, or other containers that collect and hold water. Turn over unused boats or make sure the water runoff is free to run on the ground.
Once again, it is very important to check around your yard to make sure there is no standing water after a rainfall event, especially during the hurricane season when the country experiences more rainfall due to passing tropical weather systems.
A few tips/reminders: Get rid of any unused pots or bins or turn them upside down, so they don’t collect water; Keep trash and recycling bins covered. If you can, try drilling drain holes into the bottom of them; keep a fine-mesh screen over rain barrels, water tanks and cisterns.
Take a look at your plants, once your plants are collecting water in between the leaves and the stem, these too pose as a breeding site. Trim plants and tree hedges and keep your property clean. Make use of the current pre-hurricane clean-up that is being carried out by the Waste Haulage Companies. Look out for the schedule in the daily newspaper.
For issues surrounding mosquito breeding sites, contact CPS’ vector control team by calling 914. Ask to be connected to the vector control team. You can also email vector-control@sintmaartengov.org with supporting pictures and contact information to report a mosquito nuisance or request assistance.
CPS is a government department that falls under the Ministry of Public Health, Social Development and Labour.
Food wholesalers/depots be storm ready busy 2022 Atlantic-Hurricane Season
Food wholesalers and warehouse depots requested to be storm ready for a busy 2022 Atlantic Hurricane Season
With three storm systems (Alex, Bonnie, Colin) already behind us, the Colorado State University (CSU) Department of Atmospheric Science on Thursday in its latest extended range forecast said a well above-average hurricane season will continue: “We anticipate an above-normal probability for major hurricanes making landfall along the continental United States coastline and in the Caribbean.”
The Office of Disaster Management (ODM) said on Thursday that Food wholesalers and warehouse depots are requested to have their facilities storm/hurricane ready and to review their plans of action for the 2022 Atlantic hurricane season.
Operators and owners of the aforementioned should be prepared to secure their properties in the event of a storm/hurricane threat.
National Disaster Coordinator/Fire Chief Clive Richardson is appealing to the business community to use the time now to prepare or review their current pre-storm/hurricane plans and contingency plans.
Every effort must be made to be prepared and to take timely action in clearing the surroundings of storage areas of loose pallets and other materials in the event of a weather-related threat to the country.
Every business has a role to play in being storm ready for the 2022 Atlantic hurricane season.
Materials such as plywood, shipping pallets, food pallets, and pieces of metal used to secure pallet shipments, can easily become flying missiles capable of impaling brick or wooden walls, zinc roofs or anything in its way.
It is the responsibility of the business owner to have plans in place to remove any materials and/or have them properly secured on the property where their business is located within a short period of time in the event of a storm/hurricane threat to the country.
Business owners and households are strongly advised to review their hurricane preparation plans and to adjust and address any weaknesses in those plans because you have the time now to do so before the peak period of the season which begins mid-August.
The primary objective is the protection of people first and foremost, property and surrounding residential areas second.
When a tropical storm or hurricane watch is issued 48-hours before a system is forecasted to hit the country, businesses should activate their business resilience hurricane preparedness plans – take action.
The remaining storm names for the 2022 Atlantic hurricane season are: Danielle, Earl, Fiona, Gaston, Hermine, Ian, Julia, Karl, Lisa, Martin, Nicole, Owen, Paula, Richard, Shary, Tobias, Virginie, and Walter.
For general information about preparing prior to a storm/hurricane strike, visit the Government website: www.sintmaartengov.org/hurricane where you will be able to download your “Hurricane Season Readiness Guide’ and “Hurricane Tracking Chart.”
Listen to the Government Radio station – SXMGOV 107.9FM – for official information and news before, during and after a hurricane.
For official weather-related information, check out the website of the Meteorological Department of St. Maarten (MDS): www.meteosxm.com or visit their social media page Facebook.com/sxmweather/
The official opening ceremony of the repaired and refurbished gym at the Point Blanche prison was held today, Wednesday, July 6, 2022, with a ribbon-cutting ceremony. Present during the ceremony were the Honorable Minister of Justice Anna E. Richardson, Prison Director Mr. Steven Carty, and their respective supporting staff, Prison Guard Mr. Dean Joseph, the prison program team, and the inmate maintenance team. The ceremony was opened with a prayer by one of the prison’s inmates who expressed thanks for the actions taken to revitalize the facility after so many years so that the inmate population can actively work toward rehabilitation.
During the opening ceremony, Minister Richardson stated, “This improvement is monumental. After taking such a hit from hurricanes Irma and Maria, and some other drawbacks, we are here today. I am excited and look forward to the inmates making good use of this improved facility. Sports have the potential to stimulate inmates and promote social interaction. I also commend the prison director and his management team for this great accomplishment, as it must not go unmentioned.”
Over the past months, under the leadership of Minister Richardson, a number of improvements have been made at the prison in various areas. One of the focal points of these improvements is the development and enhancement of the overall day-time program for the inmates. This includes but is not limited to reintroducing the educational and sports programs, expanding the labor possibilities for the inmates, infrastructural upgrades, and more. Part of the infrastructural improvements has been repairing, repainting, and refurbishing the airspaces, the gym, the classrooms, the music room, the barbershop, the housing areas, and more. In terms of labor activities, the prison’s intention is to include the inmates as much as possible in the above-mentioned repairs by creating inmate maintenance and cleaning teams.
The gym was one of the first projects that were initiated due to the poor state that it was in, with equipment that had reached the end of its technical lifecycle and warranted replacement. Upon the request of Minister Richardson, the prison’s management was requested to pursue immediate improvements to the prison’s gym. The prison management, in collaboration with the Monster Factory Foundation thus started discussions in 2021 on sprucing up the entire gym. With the expertise of the Monster Factory Foundation, a selection of new and gently used equipment that was best suitable for the prison environment was sought. Once the equipment was ordered and, on its way, preparations were made to repair and repaint the gym area. This work was executed mainly by the inmate maintenance team.
Introducing more sports activities within the facility not only positively affects the inmates’ physical and mental health, but also has a positive effect on the overall behavior of inmates, and ultimately, the living environment within the facility. Similarly, in a press statement published in the local media on June 16, 2022, mention was made of the soccer associations R.I.S.C Takers and Street Kings visiting the prison and the positive effects that this has had on the inmates.
As a last token of appreciation, Minister Richardson gifted the gym a new basketball and bid the prison much success in this undertaking.
Great Bay Fresh Pond Channel to open as of 1:30 PM today.
The Ministry of Public Housing, Spatial Planning, Environment and Infrastructure (Ministry of VROMI) will temporary open the Great Bay Fresh Pond channel as of 1:30 PM today, July 6th, 2022, due to the expected torrential rainfall. The channel will remain open until 08:30 PM.
The decision to open the Great Bay Channel was taken to mitigate potential flooding as part of the ministry’s water management activities to avoid hazardous water levels at the Salt and Fresh Water Ponds.
The Ministry of VROMI therefore cautions against any and all water activities at the Great Bay Beach during the aforementioned times and up to 24 hours following.
1st August EHAS immediate automated pre-approval for vaccinated travelers
EHAS to give an immediate automated pre approval for vaccinated travelers as of August 1st
As of August 1st 2022, the intention is to make EHAS more convenient by allowing vaccinated persons to receive an immediate pre approval, once the form is filled out in it’s entirety.
The entry requirements will not change for the country, but by allowing an automated immediate response, many cancellations can be avoided. It is important to note that the checks on arrival will still take place at the airport, and persons may be required to test locally if their documents are not valid.
Despite claims that EHAS is deterring tourists from visiting the country, statistics show that this is far from the truth. In the high season of 2021-2022, Sint Maarten was at approximately 120% of its 2019 pre-COVID arrival numbers and to date we are at 90% of the 2019 arrivals.
We often look at other countries without realizing the full measures being taken there. For instance, while Aruba may not require any testing to enter the country, they do require that an ED form be filled out prior to traveling and they still have a night life closure time of 1 AM during the week.
Even though America has finally eased their entry requirements, noncitizens are required to be vaccinated to enter their country. This shows that everyone is trying to find a balance that would also protect their population, while still attracting visitors.
Sint Maarten is no exception, the intention is for EHAS to transition into our Port Health Authority, which is mandatory for all the countries within the kingdom. An international health regulation (IHR) meeting was held last month in Aruba and is scheduled to be a yearly event. The IHR requires each country to be able to detect, assess, report, respond and stop outbreaks of infectious diseases before they spread internationally. This means that Sint Maarten must have a Port Health Authority at all points of entry, to meet our obligations as international ports.
“I am not someone that likes to remove regulations and then have to replace them later”. Said Ottley. The Minister is working on transitioning the EHAS to a more effective system that fosters safety without negatively affecting our visiting numbers. The plan is to allow this automated approval to be accessible for all visitors regardless of their vaccination status by October 15th 2022.
