A resident of the French island of Saint Barthélemy was diagnosed with COVID-19 on 1 March. His parents on the neighbouring island of Saint Martin also tested positive. Three cases of the coronavirus were confirmed in the French island of St. Barthélemy and French Saint Martin on 1 March. The cases were confirmed by the Institut Pasteur Laboratory of Guadeloupe which is conducting tests for the virus. The case involves a resident of St. Barthélemy and his visiting relatives. The person was confined at home in St. Barthélemy and under daily surveillance while his parents are isolated in the Louis-Constant Fleming Hospital in French Saint Martin. The couple had come from Paris, France, to visit their son, who lives in Saint-Barthélemy. Containment was put in place on 15 March with limitation of outings and prohibition of swimming. In all, 6 people were sick. None of them developed any serious symptoms requiring hospitalization. On 24 March, the confinement orders have been strengthened: people may only leave their house for essential travel; markets are closed; gatherings are forbidden; non-essential businesses should close.
April 2020
On 16 April, after two weeks without new cases, swimming was again authorized on the beaches of the island. The last case on the island was declared cured on 21 April. As of 23 April, the Pasteur Institute in Guadeloupe have analysed 84 tests from Saint Barthélemy. Special monitoring is carried out at retirement homes, however no cases have been reported for the island. On 24 April, Air Caraïbes announced that flights between Saint Martin, Saint Barthélemy, and Gaudeloupe will be resuming as of today. On 30 April, Bruno Magras, president of the collectivity, announce that all services, including schools, restaurants, bars, sport and cultural activities will be reopen on the 11th May.
May 2020
On 2 May, the Collectivity announced the arrival of local testing equipment, and will be able to test upto 16 tests per hour to prepare for deconfinement and a return of the virus. €2 million has been allocated for testing since April. On 9 May, an amendment of Michel Magras, Senator of Saint Barthélemy, to limit the quarantine to people who had tested positive, in order to resume tourism, failed to pass.
Preventive measures
The airport and port are closed. Local flights have been allowed again since 24 April.
All restaurants and bars were closed, all schools were closed, and all gatherings were banned. Until the 11th of May when President Bruno Magras allowed their reopening.
