Today marks five weeks since we moved to alert level three. I want to commend the community for your commitment to the measures that came with it and taking the necessary precautions and personal responsibility—also much thanks to our Public Health Department. We are all in this together, and our active cases are down to one because of this.

Considering this, as of 6 pm today, we will scale down to alert level 2; this means bars and restaurants can operate normally, and larger group gatherings indoors are allowed again, with a maximum of 100 persons permitted. Masks are no longer mandatory but remain a recommendation indoors.

Our schools have been open now for two weeks, and I am happy to say there have been no notable incidences from the reopening of schools. As mask-wearing is an indoor recommendation, this includes inside the classrooms.

Although this is all good news to start the weekend, we must remain vigilant and responsible. We cannot let our guards down. We’ve seen how easily we went from zero to 100 plus cases in no time. We assume that we likely still have a low level of asymptomatic circulation of covid-19 on the island. Omicron is the dominant variant on our sister island St. Maarten, and as you know, it spreads very quickly.

In closing, continue to adhere to the Public Health regulations, practice proper hand hygiene, and call Saba Cares if you are experiencing flu-like symptoms, however mild. If you have not received your booster shot yet, I sincerely urge you to do so.

Remember, our best plan for keeping safe and healthy is staying informed and cooperating as a community.

GIS Saba