WILLEMSTAD - In late June, in close cooperation with Curaçao and the Kingdom of the Netherlands, the United States Air Force started providing support to U.S. Southern Command’s enhanced counternarcotics operations in the Caribbean region with a deployment at the U.S. Forward Operating Location (USFOL) on Curaçao. One of the 157 members of the deployment who took the standard end-of-quarantine COVID-19 test administered by Curacao health authorities has had a positive result, as the Government of Curacao has announced. The following action was taken.
• At all times, the deployment of these personnel has prioritized the health and safety of their own staff and the people of Curacao.
• For that reason, the USFOL and all deployers undertook comprehensive measures carefully worked out with the Ministry of Health of Curacao to prevent any spread of the coronavirus.
• These measures included testing before entry into Curacao, a minimum 14-day quarantine with strict social distancing at all times, and a second test at the conclusion of quarantine.
• All deployment members were tested before arrival on Curacao, and all test results were negative. Upon arrival they undertook a minimum 14-day quarantine period.
• All deployment members were tested again at the end of the mandatory quarantine period. Out of 157 tests administered, 156 were negative.
• For the one case where a test result was found to be positive, action was taken immediately to isolate the member and to trace and isolate contacts.
• No member of the deployment has exhibited coronavirus symptoms.
• The USFOL and the U.S. Consulate General continue to work with the Government of Curacao to minimize any risk of coronavirus among the general population.
2020 marks twenty years since the establishment of the U.S. Forward Operating Location on Curaçao. The United States expresses its gratitude to the people and Government of Curaçao for their support of this mission and our ongoing partnership in assisting international efforts to combat global narcotics trafficking.
