On Monday 27 April, a military aircraft will depart from military airfield Eindhoven with essential military personnel and goods for the Caribbean. During the corona crisis, the military personnel will be deployed in various fields to support the local authorities in the region.
The applicable quarantine measures will be implemented for each destination where the military eventually go before they are actually deployed. The military personnel will be closely monitored by local health authorities during home isolation. This military personnel have already been (negatively) tested COVID-19 in the Netherlands.
Defense in the Caribbean provides various military assistance to support local authorities. Supporting these authorities is one of the three main tasks of CZMCARIB. For example, the food bank in Aruba has been assisted by logistical support and meal preparation, but currently both the ARUMIL and the 32nd Raidingsquadron on land and at sea help support the Caribbean Coast Guard to maintain maritime borders. Marines on St. Maarten helped set up an emergency shelter at the hospital and are currently supporting the KPSM in carrying out tasks related to maintaining public order and safety. In Curaçao, the Company in the West supports the Caribbean Coast Guard through static and dynamic observations in order to guard the maritime borders and the CURMIL assists the KPC with traffic controls. There are also medical soldiers on Curaçao who assist in administering COVID-19 tests. The Ministry of Defense will also deploy the support ship Zr.Ms. Karel Doorman in order to support the civil authorities in the corona crisis when the situation demands it.
