TravelTalkOnline Forums Travel and Vacation Forums St. Maarten - St. Martin US Flights still coming on August 1

I contacted my tennis buddy and he said he HAD plans to arrive on 8/8 but he is selling his business and might not be able to go....BUT...wifey will be going on 8/13 no matter what so that might be the earliest I get any info....they have a house on Island

So I probably won't be the first with arrival info.....

"(last leg in case of connecting flights) "
This makes a big difference for us West coasters with long layovers and overnight connections.

From the St Maarten EHAS website (https://stmaartenehas.com/travel-requirements/):

“9. Travelers with end destination Sint Maarten are required to have health insurance coverage. Additional travel insurance covering COVID-19 related expenses is strongly recommended.”

wilsonck,
Your thought that the naso-pharyngeal swab was the trick is not correct.
I had a doctor ordered test done that had the deep nasal swap. Called a SARS coronavirus w/COV 2 RNA QL Real Time PCR and it did have the FDA EUA notice on the results.
Also had a Florida Public Health test with less intrusive nasal swab. Called a SARS-CoV-2, NAA test and it also had the FDA EUA notice.
So it is important to check your results report carefully to be sure you are not put back on the plane you can in on.
Based on the current (July 28th) Health Minister catch-22 regulation.
Good luck to all and I hope someone who makes it thru imigration at SXM can report back.
Eager travelers are waiting to know.
Thanks all.

For those who like to watch the airport webcam at https://www.mahobeachcam.com/

Jet Blue 787 - JBU787 - is scheduled to arrive at 11:27 (JFK)
American 2478 - AAL2478 - is scheduled to arrive at 1:04 (CLT)
Air France 498 - AFR498 - is scheduled to arrive at 1:15 (CDG)
Spirit 100 - NKS100 - is scheduled to arrive at 1:21 (FLL)
American 1136 - AAL1136 - is scheduled to arrive at 1:30 (MIA)

On a typical day, I would wish the best of luck to the passengers on AAL1136, the 4th flight to arrive in window of less than 30 minutes, for a speedy trip through Immigration. Today, given the restrictive entry requirements, I just hope that they can actually enter.

The latest "adjustments" from the Government of Sint Maarten seem to remove that EUA restriction. Link below:

https://www.facebook.com/SXMGOV/?__...MxE5n1wvCMhqQo6c&fref=nf&__xts__[0]=68.ARBO6kZG9F7ek7HD2ePOev0UfPkQG8ZaN5md8G58pS5SFvX8EoOPGySMzMHO5KOvtRuOkSb64pDeojy6MYsK0Ka4FUmcAFxINvG5oXKebpkfS71aYgSs8gBfS5UxvRMnDnZeGhYBKIGJWpRXFrmBVmmX-yrTy2nzFarsRPrAFKZkAm98E6q9J3PU1wK7bTEoErRgBm1jNJuqXw7d-EMABGK5iW2nul4rmcgZ49L5CaA1Lto8OXrVt_hvLuyeCXg2-q0PQfh-UPvMeTP47aWDcXrAE2Yg_4nMnkboX-V5ZvaV8oFYGrz63RyBDePzyjHsf2Q8p2xobW4IOdVFd321ZRIUGvAkCjAbhqfr6-f2w2EVngLQftNQhQE

Thanks and hoping for the best . Got live and move on.

The official requirements are on the EHAS website. Good luck to those who wade their way through it to find out what they actually are today.

Georgia--I'm not certain where that EUA restriction was before, but hopefully you are correct. The page seems to say it was last edited on the 29th, but who knows, at this point? I was looking for something in the Daily Herald, but it seems there is no online paper today? Is today a holiday?

TDH stopped producing a Saturday edition about 3 weeks ago.

Oh, ok, thanks. I missed that.

I was pointing out the only test that would be accepted would be the one you said was done with the deep nasal swab. The test done with the less intrusive nasal swab would not be accepted. However, I am not aware of any covid-19 test in the USA that is done without the FDA Emergency Use Authorization that would fit the requirements for entry to St Maarten.

Carol, I'm not sure, but the post on the Facebook page was minutes before I copied the link here. It's definitely a moving target, either way.

The CV19 shot for the world will be available January 2021.Once most of the world gets the first shot the restrictions will ease and travel should be easier?

That restriction was, and still is, on the EHAS website. The official government Facebook page doesn't have the restriction. Definitely a moving target.

Ridiculous. We shall see what happens today I guess.

Several ministers were there at the airport to greet the Jetblue flight. Conspicuously absent was The Honorable Richard Panneflek, Minister of Public Health, Social Development and Labor.

Yeah, I saw Rolando Brison walking around when Jet Blue landed...

The EHAS webpage, reachable from both www.stmaartenentry.com and www.stmaartenehas.com still has the EUA restriction.

"A rt-PCR test for the SARS-COV-2 virus obtained from a naso-pharyngeal swab only and performed within 72 hrs. prior to departure to Sint Maarten (last leg in case of connecting flights) is required for all travelers originating from a country that is categorized as high or moderate risk . Other tests such as antibody tests or antigen tests and tests performed outside of this 72h period will not be accepted. rt-PCR test methods with an Emergency Use Only Authorization (EUA) approval from the FDA will not be accepted."

Pannaflek was there. Pictures on PJIA FB page.

Someone posted this on FB.

Just landed in St Maarten from the USA .. We had our Negative Covid test in hand(antibody test). But they made us pay $125 a piece to take another one at their airport. It have to be an PCR test.
Which is odd because no one gets a PCR Covid test back under the 72 hours as they required. So they are definitely making a big buck of the USA.

Long story short! We made it in and we are ready to enjoy our Villa

Ok, I only saw one picture that was posted by PJIA.

Makes you wonder if they even went the health questionaire website since they would have not been approved with a serology test.

Whatever it takes to enter SXM is not the issue dollar wise... What happens if you test positive (false positive) ? That would be a nightmare! It would be so not worth it to get in some island time.

There is a whole series, and video too!

I believe they were also told to wait at their resort until they got a phone call with the results.

That was the deal, self isolate until results. But if no one is watching...

Supposedly a big fine if caught.

I'm also hearing from someone that they were not asked for insurance when they went through passport control in SXM.

I don't understand how those folks even got on the plane, as they should not even have been able to get on the plane. And definitely NOT a money-making proposition, giving Covid 19 tests.

Someone that was on the Spirit flight from Fort Lauderdale said Spirit never asked for any test documentation or Entry paperwork. They said first time it was checked, was when they got to St. Maarten.

Huh. Doesn't do much good to require stuff that no one checks on.

It was Spirit Air lines. What more can I say.

It's a destination issue not an airline issue. If a traveler meets the requirements to get on a flight I would think their (airline) responsibility ends there. A lot of responsibility for the traveler to deal with on their own

Similar with flying into BOS from the hot zone states right now. COVID test requirements or mandatory quarantine...but not an airline issue at all.

Except if they’re denied entry the airline has to take them back, so you’d think they’d want to check it before boarding.

I've been told by a reliable source that the airline only checks for negative test, not valid test. They probably don't understand it either! Ministry of VSA said there were 30 on the flight who had to be re-tested due to invalid test.

We are now up to 58 active cases.

Is that where they are charging $125 per test?

Yes.

30 people had to be retested, but what about the other people on that plane who were potentially exposed since these 30 had invalid tests? It kind of makes the whole thing pointless.

This is going to stop flights from the USA again IMHO but at least the borders will reopen!