Stricter measures on Curacao as Covid-19 figures rise

Curacao is introducing stricter measures from today in an attempt to prevent the further spread of the coronavirus on the island. After a long time with few Covid-19 cases, the island saw the number of infections skyrocket to over 1,200 people over the past month. Four people have died of the virus, De Telegraaf reports.

From Tuesday, bars, cafes and restaurants will not be allowed to serve alcohol. Alcohol consumption on the street is also banned. All casinos will be closed. And restaurants are only allowed to be open for takeaways. These rules will apply for at least the coming three weeks.

While there is no official lockdown, the curfew that applies between 9:00 p.m. and 4:30 a.m. will also be extended by three weeks, Justice Minister Quincy Girigorie said on Monday. He called on visitors and residents not to have parties at home, and to work from home as much as possible. 

Curacao is currently a very popular holiday destination for Netherlands residents, as it is one of only a handful of places where recreational travel is allowed. Early last month Prime Minister Mark Rutte strongly discouraged travel abroad until at least mid-January, but the Caribbean parts of the Kingdom of the Netherlands doesn't count as abroad.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs currently has a code yellow travel advice for Curacao, which means that non-essential travel to the island is allowed, but Netherlands residents should take heed of and adhere to local restrictions in place against the coronavirus.