Banks close, airport suspends operations

GREAT BAY – Hurricane Irma is affecting businesses and government operations alike. Here is an overview of closure announcements.

All banks will be closed today but most ATMs will remain open until at least 5 p.m., the Bankers Association announced yesterday.

The Princess Juliana International Airport will suspend all operations as a precautionary measure today at 2 p.m. The traveling public is advised to check with their airlines for further information.

“We regret any inconvenience this will cause, but must stress that the safety and security of all is priority number one at the airport. We will continue to closely monitor the developments of hurricane Irma, as it passes over our area, and keep all our personnel, users and stakeholders informed of any further developments as these occur,” said acting CEO Michel Hyman.

WTN-Cable management has decided to dismantle its sites to avoid irreparable damage to the systems. All sites will be restored to normal operations as soon as the authorities give permission to move around.

“We will start dismantling early this morning,” the company said in a press statement. “As soon as the authorities give us the permission to move around we will be start restoring the sites to normal operations and realigning our system. It can take up to Monday, September 11 before operations are normal again. We will then be able to dispatch calls to our customers again. We request all our customers to remove their system antenna if possible. With the expected strength of the winds, your system antenna might blow away or get damaged.”

Winair has cancelled all services for today and tomorrow and expects to restart limited services on Thursday, depending on the post Irma conditions. “With the unpredictability of Hurricane Irma Winair will relocate our Twin Otter aircraft to a more secure and safe area in the Southern Caribbean. Affected passengers are presently being contacted for re-accommodation by our reservations department. Storm policy is in effect and customers will be rebooked at no additional costs,” the airline said.

Visit www.fly-winair.sx or the Facebook page /flywinair for regular updates. “Winair would like to sincerely apologize for the inconvenience and requests your understanding that these weather conditions are beyond our control,” the company said in a press statement.

Winair’s operational restart of the Twin Otter flights to destinations Saba, St. Eustatius, St. Barth, Canefield – Dominica, Antigua, Tortola, St. Kitts and Nevis, in addition to our flights to Douglas-Charles – Dominica, Guadeloupe, San Juan, Curacao and Haiti will resume once it is safe to do so.

The offices of Social and Health Insurances SZV are closed today until further notice.

The Ministry of Education, Culture, Youth and Sport postponed tomorrow’s workshop Supporting Children with Special Needs: Café Styled Conversation until further notice.

The workshop Applying to Schools in the Netherlands that was on the books for Thursday has also been postponed.

The Fire Department and the Office of Disaster Management advise boat owners and mariners strongly advised not to stay on-board their vessel during the passing of Hurricane Irma.

The department is requesting mariners and boat owners to make special arrangements to stay with friends or in a hotel, and not to remain on their vessel while moored in the Simpson Bay Lagoon or Oyster Pond.

The Chamber of Commerce announced it will be closed today until further notice.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Source: TODAY http://today.sx/weather/banks-close-airport-suspends-operations/

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