KRALENDIJK- Bonaire is currently the worst performer of all Dutch Caribbean islands, when it comes to daily infections with the Covid-19 virus.

St. Eustatius and Saba have been free of Covid cases for some time and are not taken into consideration when it comes to the comparison.

According to the Dutch Institute  for Health & Environment (RIVM) 423 people per 100,000 inhabitants on Bonaire received a positive SARS-CoV-2 test result last week, a slight increase compared to 406/100,000 a week earlier (September 23-29). The share of positive tests has almost doubled in the past week, from 9.5% to 17.0%.

In Curaçao, 219 people per 100,000 inhabitants received a positive SARS-CoV-2 test result last week, a decrease compared to 249/100,000 a week earlier (September 23-29). Per 100,000 inhabitants, the infection rate on Curaçao is currently about half lower than on Bonaire.

In the Dutch part of St. Maarten, 148 people per 100,000 inhabitants received a positive SARS-CoV-2 test result last week, a decrease compared to 196/100,000 a week earlier (September 23-29).

Aruba currently ranks best when it comes to the number of new infections: last week only 85 people per 100,000 inhabitants received a positive SARS-CoV-2 test result. This is a further decrease from 111/100,000 a week earlier (September 23-29).

Delta variant

Although the RIVM figures do not address underlying causes, it is known that the so-called Delta variant is dominant on all islands. The Delta variant is much more difficult to fight than previous variants of the virus. It is many times more contagious than the first Alpha variant of the virus, which spread from China via Europe to the Caribbean islands.