Delay with printing of Hurricane and Disaster Passes

PHILIPSBURG -- The printing of the final batches of the annual Hurricane Passes for the 2020 Atlantic Hurricane Season has been delayed due to COVID-19 lockdown. Another delay was related to the quarantine and isolation of several members of the staff due to COVID-19. The processing and printing process were delayed by two months, but every effort is being made to facilitate the aforementioned. Those who applied for a pass will be contacted by email with respect to when they could come to the department to collect their pass which would be from Monday to Friday from 9:00 am to 11: 00 am. There are two types of passes, the Disaster Pass and the Hurricane Pass. Hurricane passes are issued to essential business owners and workers of essential organizations who comply with the requirements. The Office of Disaster Management falls under the Ministry of General Affairs and handles the application process for the passes on behalf of the Prime Minister. The Hurricane Pass is valid for the 2020 and 2021 hurricane seasons and will remain the property of the Government of Sint Maarten. Applicants of passes are reminded that any abuse of the pass can mean the pass will be taken away and the person will not be eligible to request a pass in the future. The pass system is a mechanism to maintain public order during emergency situations. The Prime Minister assesses the damage in conjunction with Emergency Disaster Management entities of the Government after a disaster has occurred and can impose a curfew if the extent of the damage poses a threat to the safety and security of the community. Source: sintmaartengov.org