WILLEMSTAD – Public Health Inspector Sirving Keli has confirmed a "renewed presence" of COVID-19 on Curaçao, attributing it to a mutated version of the virus. While the symptoms of this new variant are milder than those of the original strain that emerged five years ago, the virus is significantly more contagious. 

Dr. Keli explained that much of the population has already been vaccinated, resulting in increased resistance and, in many cases, a lack of awareness that they may be carrying or transmitting the virus. “People might not even realize they are infected with the new COVID-19 variant,” he stated. 

Despite concerns about rising illness on the island, Dr. Keli ruled out a dengue outbreak at this time. “Dengue is a year-round illness,” he said, noting that Curaçao typically sees between 10 and 30 confirmed cases annually. 

Authorities continue to monitor both COVID-19 and dengue closely, while reminding the public to maintain general health precautions.