PHILIPSBURG--Businesses in the entertainment industry can reopen until midnight, announced the Ministry of Tourism, Economic Affairs, Transport and Telecommunication (TEATT) on Tuesday.
Nightclubs, adult entertainment establishments, discotheques, bars, and lounges were ordered to close for two weeks on Sunday, August 16, due to the country’s rising number of active COVID-19 cases at the time. In August, health officials also identified coronavirus clusters stemming from nightlife establishments.
TEATT Minister Ludmila de Weever extended the closures for another two weeks on September 1.
This measure has now been lifted and all businesses can open until midnight as of today, Wednesday. This is only if business owners and patrons adhere to health and safety protocols, such as wearing a face mask, social distancing and hand sanitisation.
The ministry credits the closure of “high-risk” businesses over the last 30 days as key to the country’s sharp decline in active cases. The number of active cases topped out at 268 in late August. On Tuesday, the country’s active cases stood at 62.
Businesses will be controlled to ensure they close at midnight, said the ministry.
“As we prepare for the upcoming high season, we will continue to remind the public that safety is paramount. The realisation that we have to coexist with COVID-19 is evermore present, and this can only be accomplished through responsible behaviour,” said the ministry.
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