PHILIPSBURG--The conducting of Parliament meetings electronically is one of the measures being taken by the Parliament of St. Maarten to help stem the spread of the coronavirus (COVID-19).
Parliament said in a press release on Tuesday that it will be adjusting its operations in light of new measures related to mitigating COVID-19, effective immediately until further notice. The precautionary measures have been put in place to contribute to the safety and well-being of members of Parliament (MPs), staff and visitors in light of the ongoing global pandemic.
Effective immediately the House of Parliament will be closed to the public. All scheduled school visits will also be postponed until further notice.
“Efforts are being made for all Parliamentary meetings to be conducted electronically, and to be broadcasted online,” Parliament said in the release. “Meetings will not take place in Parliament unless otherwise specified by the (Chairperson) of Parliament, this includes public meetings, staff meetings, third party or operational meetings.”
The public is urged to follow parliamentary meetings online. All non-essential staff are required to stay at home, unless indicated otherwise, as arrangements are being made for staff to work remotely.
Chairperson of Parliament Rolando Brison urges residents to continue to take their own measures to encourage safety and security for all. “Let us pray that St. Maarten can avoid as much of the brunt of the damage potential of this viral phenomenon,” Brison said. He urged the public to continue to stay tuned to bulletins from government and the Emergency Operations Center (EOC) on any new measures.
