TravelTalkOnline Forums Travel and Vacation Forums St. Maarten - St. Martin Health pass as of tomorrow!!!!

Holy Batman, this is almost worse than the pre-trip testing!!! Link

AND it it applies to BOTH sides!!!

We have been doing this in Ontario for a while now, no biggie, flash your ID and QR code and your go to go. Haven’t had to show ID to go to bar for a looong time, reminds me of my youth😀😀

After reading this, it sounds like you just need to show your vaccination card if you are vaccinated, and it not, your back to testing again. A brief mention the Dutch side would be implementing something similar... If I may proffer a thought, I think that this is in response to the Dutch side news yesterday, High season coming up, and driving who would stay on what side with 'different' rules in place (as of yesterday) to bad we are involving peoples health in tourism $$$- just my initial thoughts, always a prerogative to change ones mind..

Better than having to wear the masks.

So if unvaccinated have to be tested every 72 hours to enter an establishment? I'm vaccinated so not a problem for me but what about those who choose not to be?

Frankly, I'd rather wear a mask. We have to carry our vaccination cards with us everywhere??????????

Make a copy of vaccine card. Maybe download to your phone
I'm tired of making up.

Was recently in Mainland France and had to convert my American Covid Vaccination card into the AntiCovid app (Pass Sanitaire), It generates a QR code which was needed for all places in France to visit (bars/restaurants/stores), even a horse race. Not sure if they will do something similar, I assume Netherlands have a similar app.

Carol, do you also find it a hassle to have to carry your driver's licence with you everywhere? I really don't get the issue, it's just a little piece of paper!

You could do the same for St. Martin, get a QR code on your phone and not have to carry your vac card...or carry your card

It will be an interesting experiment when it starts.. no downside in getting the code

Actually, I don't carry my driver's license with me on SXM, at all. Eric drives.

I would not go anywhere without ID in case something bad happened. Personal choice....

Agree with boucharda, especially anytime that you are travelling in a foreign country. It's not the USA or Canada. Technically you can be asked to produce ID at anytime, especially under French law. Just not a smart idea IMO to not have some form of ID with you, particularly if something goes wrong, but that's just my experience from decades of international travel.

In absolute honesty, I don’t see any problems with carrying a copy of the card or putting it on your cell phone. I don’t understand why people are making an issue of this and you really should have some form of ID on you jic something unanticipated should happen. - and particularly when outside your local area where you might be unknown if something went wrong.

OK, fine, I am by myself on this..

FYI....I read recently that for iPhone users the next version of IOS 15 will have a spot to upload your vax card to the health app that I believe will generate a Q code.

You cant be too careful, papers please! Shouldnt the fact they let you on the island via a Vax card or EHAS negative test be good for your stay and allow free movement.

Turns every establishment into the Gestapo Junior League.

Its an island. Not to many people arriving outside PJIA and the port.

Im more worried that my cook has hepatitis or diarrhea quite frankly.

With all due respect, I think some of us worry too much about what woulda, coulda, shoulda and aren’t willing to accept what is.

Dear all,

The LINK to the full original text published by the French prefecture. It is more detailed and includes a FAQ.

Your browser may have built-in translation from French to English.

Kindly, Lars

I'm happy to see this implemented. We are doing the same in WA St starting this Monday. I have my Vax Card on my phone.

WOW. I would never be without a form of ID home or abroad.

Hope you do t drop your phone off the dive boat, you wont be a le to get back in your room. 😀

Carol,

This all makes me think of the TTOL hat that I got that had a pocket on the hat to hold ID or something small. Most of the time why would you need ID ? Especially if just going walking distance from where you are staying. I minimize what I carry on SXM, have more if I cross the border into St Martin and I sometimes will carry an older expired ID for MJ but we have never in all our years been asked for ID on island except at the airport or renting a car.

We went to NYC this last weekend and their rules required you to show proof of Vax and ID to match if you wished to go inside the restaurant, even if just to use the bathroom. If you did not wish to do that you could eat outside in their temporary enclosed outdoor structures, which crack me up like they are safer than just being inside. We have our vax records on our phone and also have a clear app that can be used in some places so we were A OK with this. I am guessing this will be similar to what SXM and other places will begin to do. I wish they would do this for airline travel and drop the mask requirements and for those that choose not to get the Vax they could then have a PCR test done prior to travel.

Cheers,
Todd

Not a problem. I also would travel with multiple hard copies of my card too.

I think that part of the problem is we were warned about loosing our vaccine card and people are afraid of this happening.
I have copies on my phone and will copy the code from EHAS. I also have copies of our passports, so I don't have to carry
them around.
If there's a problem, it won't take much to get the originals in the safe.

Terri--IF a person could just carry their EHAS approval Code to enter the country and that would work, that would be a very good resolution, at least for the Dutch side. But I doubt they would be that organized. I had not heard ANYTHING about the Dutch side requiring this at all, until today. There have been rumbles about it on the French side for a while. And there seems to be zero information about how it would actually work on either side for tourists, and it's supposed to take effect tomorrow on the French side, and who knows when on the Dutch side. Extreme lack of advance planning or information.

The health pass is not accepted by all and protests will continue. I understand the delay in the PPRN passing because it would just fuel the fire. Good Luck to SXM and remember only 56% of Americans are vaccinated.

Carrying your vax card isn't remotely even close to the same inconvenience as trying to time a negative test result with the possibility of failure. wow
Vax card is a sure thing.

"IF a person could just carry their EHAS approval Code to enter the country and that would work, that would be a very good resolution,"
Only if that EHAS code states you were vaccinated and didn't need a test to get on island. If you had to have a test to get on island because you weren't vaccinated then you would constantly need to be tested to go into those establishments and still have to show something. Just carry your vax card or picture on phone and be done with it. Pretty easy.

I have now been reading the original text as if I own a restaurant in the French Saint-Martin. I read that the penalties could become severe and I must download a verification mobile phone application called “TAC Verif” to control all restaurant guests when entering.

However, even though all EU countries are gathered in the huge database that “TAC Verif” checks, I guess it will not communicate with any database in the US.
In addition, it seems like the states in the US does not have one huge database, but different databases for different states - and some states have no digital verification possibility at all.

So, do you all agree? If you are coming from the US, do not hope that a digital verification via mobile phones will work when entering a restaurant. The best, perhaps “the only proof” that has a chance to work is your physical paper-based “CDC Covid-19 Vaccination Record Card”!

Kindly, Lars

That is dangerously printable for people to cheat the system. Hate to see people do that as some have done and got caught and fined. Should be deleted.

Dear SXMScubaman,
I have deleted the attachment.
Kindly, Lars

post deleted by Carol Hill

You are too ME orientated. There are actually people (residents) who LIVE on the Island that this applies to...not vax'ed or tested

To no one in particular:

Personally, I don't get the problem people have with carrying their vax card. You carry your driver license, don't you? I see no difference. Suck it up! There are bigger problems in this world than having to carry a small card.

We used our phone when we went to Toronto via the US to our Daughter's Wedding which was very wonderful .

Exactly.

Good decision. Never know who would abuse it.

I agree with Carol on this. This is not easy as some say it is. First of all the vaccination card from the CDC is way too big to put in a wallet. I never carry a handbag so that’s not an option. when my husband and I take a taxi to different beaches (Not on the French side) we don’t take any ID with us or his cell phone. We like to go in the ocean together and would not want to leave a cell phone, a wallet and now a vaccination card on the beach. So when we went to eat lunch or have a drink we’d have to show a vaccination card so we would not be able to eat or drink. Yes, I know there are water proof wallets..we tried them. They don’t always work.
Not everyone has a cell phone. I don’t have a cell phone other than a little flip phone I keep in my car for emergencies. I have an iPad so I’d have to make a copy of the vaccination card on my iPad and schlep my iPad all over SXM? And it is a shame for restaurant owners, etc, who have to also act as police.

You can also make a soft copy at 80% which will make it the size of a credit card. Easy to carry.