Prime Minister Evelyn Wever-Croes announces reopening of local economy

The Prime Minister announced that as of May 4th, 2020, they will start re-opening the local economy. Opening the country to tourism is not yet an option, however, a committee is working on a set of criteria that must be met for this to happen. In either case the airport will not re-open in the month of May.

During a press conference, the Prime Minister reiterated the importance of the role each citizen has to play in the next phase, which is of even more importance than the one behind us.

Important points to be considered moving into the next phase are as follow:

If you feel any symptoms relating to COVID-19, stay inside and call 280-0101 immediately. The sooner the virus is detected, the more successful we are in avoiding that it spreads. If you know of anyone who has these symptoms, please encourage them to do the same. To prevent the virus of spreading, we need to know about it in time. It is the strategy of aggressive testing that helps us detect the virus in time. Thanks to this strategy, today we see a decrease in the total number of cases.

The government is moving into the next phase by allowing some establishments to re-open to the public. The maximum amount of people allowed in the establishment at the time is 15, so if you are number 16th and asked to wait outside please respect and obey these instructions. If you are asked to clean your hands by using hand sanitizer before entering the establishment, please respect and obey these instructions. If you are asked to maintain 2-meter distance from others, please respect and obey these instructions. These rules have been established by the government for your own protection.

The Prime Minister mentioned that she received various messages in regard to the readiness of Aruba to move into the next phase. Some were messages of encouragement for which she is very grateful, others were more critical. She also mentioned that she received various comments and questions. One of the questions was; Is Aruba ready for this new phase? Her answer was a firm YES. The Prime Minister has faith that the community will do their best to help Aruba overcome this crisis. She is completely aware of all the sacrifices that each and every one has been making for these last 6 weeks. Aruba’s economic pillar was sacrificed, our freedom was sacrificed as we stayed inside during the curfew hours, we were not allowed to do what we love to do anymore, and we had to sacrifice spending time with our loved ones as visitors were not allowed into elderly care homes. All these sacrifices shows the commitment of each individual in helping to move Aruba forward.

“We love ourselves, our family and Aruba, and for this reason we will do anything in our power to help our island overcome this crisis.” – Prime Minister Evelyn Wever-Croes