Prime Minister Santokhi explained the uncontrollable corona situation in an inserted press conference. The army also spoke and announced that the borders are closing and that border security is being stepped up in the east and west of the country, in particular to prevent the spread of the Brazilian variant of the corona virus.
The hospitals are also being set up differently, which means that all help is focused on covid patients. Anyone who has ever worked in healthcare is called upon to report. The intention is to now also deploy those people with care experience in corona care. It has also been announced that the site of the Surinamese Chamber of Commerce will be set up in such a way that IC care can also be provided there.
Even before the highest risk level was announced, Minister De Jonge (VWS) announced that the Dutch cabinet plans to send between 500,000 and 750,000 doses of the AstraZeneca vaccine to Suriname. Two oxygen containers are also going from the Netherlands to Suriname. These are transported in collaboration with the Ministry of Defence. The aim is also to deploy staff “as soon as possible”.
The end of June
The vaccines from the Netherlands will arrive at the end of June at the earliest, “provided supplies allow”, Minister De Jonge wrote in a letter to the House of Representatives. The cabinet had consultations with Suriname this week and concluded that the Netherlands cannot immediately help the country. The vaccines would not be sent before week 26, the ministry said.
However, Santokhi reports at his added press conference that deliveries from the Netherlands will take place in phases and that some things can be delivered next week. The Dutch Ministry of Health, Welfare and Sport has not yet announced anything about this.
The Surinamese government also expects oxygen supplies from neighboring French Guiana. They are expected on Sunday or shortly after. These deliveries could already solve part of the shortages, allowing the care to scale up a bit further.
Suriname has just under 600,000 inhabitants. There are now 35 patients in intensive care, which is already a higher IC capacity than the country had before the corona crisis. More than 200 people have been hospitalized and nearly 1,200 more have gone into isolation at home.
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