TravelTalkOnline Forums Travel and Vacation Forums St. Maarten - St. Martin naso-pharyngeal swab test for Covid 19

I wondered if they're actually being that strict about the hours. We're flying on Saturday and were going to get our tests on the Monday before. I guess I'll schedule to account for the hours, but it seems a bit overkill.

The time is measured in hours (120) so they may be strict with it

spoke my PCP nurse who said to call her Monday 2nov to set up an appointment for early Friday test.... the lab works on weekends and she will submit a priority travel request. i will get a phone call from lab (on weekend, prob Sunday) when determination is made and if/when i am negative will call my nurse at my PCP and she will upload it to my chart 1st thing Monday a.m.

sounds simple eh?? YA RIGHT!!!!

I think rather than uploading results to your chart with a phone call from lab you're going to need an actual result report directly from lab on their result form.

Might depend on who is checking you on arrival.

Has something changed? I thought the test results also need to be downloaded to the SXM travel application form?

Wendy--right, the actual written results from the lab need to be uploaded to the SXM travel application form. Something that your doctor or nurse says is NOT acceptable. It has to be the actual written report from the lab. If I understand the procedure that bizzotom is describing, it will NOT be good enough and will require a re-test once they arrive in SXM..

Thanks Carol!
I'll be getting the test Monday for travel Sat morning. The test results come through LabCorp, which I hope to be able to figure out how to download/upload.

Correct but if it's the same as STT then if you get the results after 24 hours you can bring a PRINTED report stating the kind of test, date taken and results. If it's uploaded then that's taken care of. They took the approval form, briefly looked at the word "negative" and that was that ...BUT...this was WITH a prior approval.

I also wouldn't rely on a patient chart result as evidence...might work....might not.

..and from the SXM entry requirements

We just returned less than a week ago and have gone through the process. Nowhere on our covid test did it give a time. Only a date. So there would be too way to count it in actual hours. We did our tests on Monday afternoon at 4:30 for a Friday departure. We wanted to make sure we had enough time for a Saturday departure in case we missed our connecting flight in Miami. Our results came in 24 hours but had the wrong date on them. It had Sunday's date instead of Monday and that would not have covered us through Saturday like we wanted. Since we got them late on Tuesday we had to wait until Wednesday morning to contact the clinic to get the date changed. That was done by noon on Wednesday and immediately uploaded to the site and within 1.5 hours we had approval. If you have a connecting flight, please read my earlier post entitled "AA Experience". Hope this experience helps others.

Interesting about the time documentation....mine had times indicated for: collection, received and reported but I will add that my test was taken at 1110am (in reality) but the report said collected at 17:19pm so a decent 6 hours for wiggle room

The SXM website does state 120 hours but I doubt that they would be picky about a couple/few hours

I think SXM needs to make a decision if the rapid test will be accepted (on Island or before travel) AND if they will require THEIR medical insurance instead of a private policy obtained before departure

It doesn't help to dangle possibilities out there without a decision

I couldn’t agree more. The uncertainty status is making us all a little crazy. Or is it just me? And btw, that last was purely a rhetorical question so no responses are necessary! 😊😊

Totally agree, but they have been wishy-washy, back peddled, flip-flopped and been inconsistent through the entire situation. I really wonder if the "powers that be" have a handle on what this is doing to the working population of the island.

carol
It will be a written report from the lab to my pcp who will add it to my private health record that i can down load and print the lab copy. are you saying it might not be acceptable???

i am quite certain all reports (not hand written) are digitally transmitted to participating testing facility offices.

Correct....most are PDF files that can be downloaded and attached or printed

bizzotom--I thought you meant that your PCP was going to write a note to the effect that the test was negative, as opposed to getting a copy of the results through your PCP. I would think most labs would ask for your email so you could receive it directly, as opposed to having to go through the PCP to get the results, but I am probably wrong. If I go through Quest for tests, all tests I have there are automatically uploaded where I can download or print them myself.

It depends on how the test was ordered. If you had an MD (or NP) order the test they will get the result and it will be included in your portal for downloading. If you obtained it for travel (no MD involved) it will be emailed to you directly AND you can set up a lab portal and it will also be there.

Quest testing also has an MD name attached so it's the same process

They will not accept a handwritten note from your Dr nor anyone else. They only will accept the report from the Lab with their logo and time and date of the test as well as rt-PCR naso-pharyngeal test result. This is according to their instructions on their web site

Correct..and that report, as stated, can be downloaded from the MD portal....nobody "writes" (handwritten) in a health record anymore

carol,

totally understand, but the way it was explained to me is that i will get a call over the weekend of 7/8 Nov, probably Sunday as i am taking the test on Friday, based on my interaction with my PCP's nurse is, 2morrow i will make the appt for Friday and as soon as she gets in on Monday she will upload it to my personal chart and i can go in and download and print it out and begin the upload to the St Maarten web site.

I will attempt to request that the finding be personally emailed to me as well as soon as it is available.

thank u all for help, great folks on this site!!!

staying at Divi if any else is, sure would like to meet you at Gizmos, i shud be wearing a red baseball hat with a B on it (redsox) or a silly looking like i Gilligan, LOL

interesting conversations about the test and results. Where did you get your test and results in 2 days. Traveling to the island in Dec so I need to get a testing site firmed up. Thanks

rterrones, you might want to check if there's a Passport Health location in your area. They specialize in vaccines and tests for travelers. That's where we're getting our tests done. They don't guarantee the timing of the results, but say it's usually two days. Also, keep up to date on the SXM government's requirements, as there's talk of a rapid test program upon arrival at the airport.

reliant medical where i have my PCP located, leominster, massachusetts

GaKaye;
Passport Health here in Milw says 2-5 day turn around. With 5 day window I was a little concerned but I'll check back with them to try to get in narrowed down a bit. Checking also with CVS Pharmacy which some have used.
Thanks

Most everywhere around here is saying something like that. No one that I've found is willing to guarantee any timeframe. If you're not traveling until December, I'd wait to see if the SXM rapid test system is instituted.

Looks like the USVI has added the rapid test and/or a blood antibody test to the RT-PCR test as acceptable for entry. Hopefully SXM will review.....

That would be nice if they did.

I don't understand,
The only test that is acceptable is the first, more invasive test.
Then why are people purchasing kits that they can do at home?
I don't remember the name, but if you are doing it yourself and not getting as deep as the original test, how can it be better than the rapid test??

Maybe I have it all completely wrong, but have not seen an explanation.

We have been tested at Passport Health twice in the past 30 days. Here in the Sarasota - Bradenton area of Florida, Passport Health offers several different nasal PCR tests. They vary in cost, depending on how quickly you need results. Both times, we had results in around 36 hours. If you are willing to pay out of your own pocket and pay dearly, quick results are available through Passport Health, at least in our area.

We tested today in Minneapolis for our Sunday trip, not enjoyable but really no big deal. Arrive at 8am, get appointment for 3pm. Out the door at 3:15. Results in next 48 hours.

We took our nasopharyngeal test at MedPost in Massachusetts on Monday November 2 and got our results this morning Thursday November 5 at 6:30am . Our flight is on Saturday. Quest Diagnostics was the lab they use.

We filled our EHAS forms and attached our Nasopharyngeal Covid test results as directed and my wife admittance permit came back in about 25 minutes approved and mine took about 4 hours to come back to me approved. I called St Maarten and asked why mine took so much longer than my wife's to come back and the woman I spoke to said they have about 10 people doing the permits and that ours which were entered separately went to 2 different persons. I think they are working from home so it makes sense that it would take longer from one or another there.
Thought many of you would like this information so please all come back to St Maarten and support the economy there.

Badbenni

Thanks for that

I have heard similar stories with people applying at the same time and getting results/acceptance several hours apart.
Good luck.

I saw most people in this thread departed on a Saturday to SXM. Would departure on a Wed or Thu to SXM be too risky? In that case, the test needs to be done on a Friday or a Saturday, and I'm not sure if the lab works during weekends.

It depends on where you are. Better to check with the labs to see for sure. Friends of ours were tested today (Sunday) in Washington State.

I think it's a function of how many more flights there are on a Saturday, versus when folks get the test.

Thanks GaKaye and Carol!