The num­ber of positive COVID-19 test results in St. Maarten showed a sharp decline in November, reported the Dutch National Institute for Public Health and the Environment RIVM in its latest Dutch Caribbean update.

In St. Maarten, there were a mere 23 positive test results up to and in­cluding November 29. This is a lot less than the 66 positive test results of October 2022. Eights persons, all older than 60, were admitted to the St. Maarten Medical Centre (SMMC) with COVID-19 related complications. No one died from COVID-19 in St. Maarten in Novem­ber.

Throughout the Dutch Caribbean, with the excep­tion of Aruba, the number of COVID-19 cases went down in November com­pared to the month be­fore. In total, 474 positive test results were reported in November, which is a reduction compared to the 545 in October.

Also, there were fewer COVID-19-related deaths in the Dutch Caribbean: five in November whereas I I persons died in October as a result of the compli­cations from the virus. No new COVID-19-related deaths have been reported in the Caribbean Nether­lands islands Bonaire, St. Eustatius and Saba since August 22, the RIVM an­nounced.

Both St. Eustatius and Saba reported fewer than five positive test results in November, and there have been no COVID-19-re­lated hospital admissions or deaths. In October, St. Eustatius had eight posi­tive test results and Saba had fewer than five in that month.

Curacsao had 97 positive test results in November, versus 121 in October. The number of COVID­19-related hospital admis­sions went down slightly from 15 in October to 11 in November. Fewer than five persons died from COVID-19 complications and they were all older than 65 and living in a care home.

In Bonaire, 82 corona-virus infections were re­ported in November, com­pared to 112 in October. Fewer than five persons were admitted to the hos­pital with medical compli­cations as a result of CO­VID-19 and no one died from the virus.

Only in Aruba, the num­ber of COVID-19 cases went up: from 187 in Oc­tober to 266 in November. There were 30 hospital admissions and fewer than five deaths related to CO­VID-19. The increase in hospital admissions from 18 in October to 30 did not result in an overburden­ing of care at the hospital. Five of the 30 hospital ad­missions were minors.

The RIVM is monitor­ing several subvariants of Omicron BA.2, BA.4 and BA.5 that are circulating in the Dutch Caribbean. There are also variants that consist of so-called recombinants, which are combinations of variants, such as XBB.

The Daily Herald.