TravelTalkOnline Forums Travel and Vacation Forums St. Maarten - St. Martin New Government Travel Bans

Latest news in the Daily Herald about new travel bans. The U.S. is regarded as a high risk country again, and has been reduced from 5 days for a PCR (120 hours) test to 3 days, or 72 hours. This goes into effect apparently on Feb. 12th. I am glad we decided to pass on our 2 week February visit this year.

Sorry, this has already been posted here, about the change from 120 to 72 hours. As far as the US being a high risk country, that is not a change, has been so for quite a while.

It takes a few more hoops to jump through to get there and back but it is still highly worth it to get to enjoy.

FYI

The actual new restriction which hasn’t been mentioned before is from France. As of midnight on Sunday, travelers to/from France will only be allowed if they are traveling for "motif impérieux", a limited set of circumstances such as medical, family reunification, and unavoidable work issues. The restriction applies to all of France's overseas territories. Travel is also restricted to/from all countries outside of the EU.

Sorry Carol. Apparently I missed seeing that information.

Good afternoon, everyone:

If I am reading @Bahston's post correctly, France is basically closing its borders? If this is applying to all territories, does that mean that the roads between the French and Dutch side will be closed? I am probably reading too much into it, though.

Thanks,
S&M

No its not happening on the Island.

Not right now but no guarantees they change it.

Thank you @Kennys and @SXMScubaman. We shall (fingers crossed) be travelling to the island in less than two weeks. My wife who is more spontaneous than I is completely nonplussed by all the uncertainty; I - on the other hand - am a ball of nerves, as I am the planner. My first worry is the "approval" e-mail which will then be quickly followed by a lock-down of the island once we are there.

We do, especially me, appreciate the responses and answers.

Thanks,
S&M

Your news was news to me. Thanks.

Stress is not a good ingredient for a vacation.

These rule changes all look like desperate moves to be doing something.

If three days is better than 5, why not make it 24 hours or less.

MHO, the world has til July before irreparable damage is done to the tourist/travel/airline/cruise industries. The places will always be there, but the price and number of people able to afford this price will be much smaller.

We need instant tests available worldwide at the time of departure. The cruise ships will have to convert their photo labs into testing labs.

Rapid testing IS available at some airports. It's the arriving destination that has issues with accepting those results. It would make for MUCH less stress if you knew you could get tested the day before or the day of and have those results right away.....AND have them accepted

Yes. Total agreement.

All that, and we want it now and want more tomorrow. So stay awake.

This video sums up my demands for testing/vaccines/standards.

https://vimeo.com/235412480

I wonder how many people are just saying they are happy not to taken the effort to come to sxm but really pissed they are freezing back home sitting in a snow storm or waiting for the next storm to come while their friends are laying on the beach tan and relaxed and in a much better covid19 situation than most of the USA? We know more than a few of our sxm group of friends having second thoughts that the canceled or a spouse that talked the other one into canceling. Definitely a personal risk reward choice. So glad we didn’t cancel.

We wish we had gone, but we drove to Florida and got stress free tan there.

So far it looks like most Here who wanted to have gotten in and out of SXM........somebody has to miss a test in/out or get sick but it sounds rare.

Really stressing out here. We're supposed to fly to SXM on 2/28. Have our tests scheduled for the 25th. If we don't get the results in 24 hours I think we're sol as we are supposed to fly to Newark on Saturday the 227 and overnight. There are no option for the rapid test anywhere near us.