*** The Most IMPORTANT Takeaway from the official pronouncement today is that they are no longer placing any time restraints from when you became fully vaccinated until you submit your EHAS application.
For example, if you completed both shots of your vaccination, of a 2 shot regimen (ie., Pfizer, Moderna, etc.) on 15 February 2021 and you did not receive a booster, it doesn't matter that it has been more than 1 year since your shots. You are considered fully vaccinated and can apply for admission to SXM without a Covid Test.
OK, it finally makes sense. No need to test if fully vaccinated.
OK, now it has been corrected. It now says "Fully vaccinated only OR combined with a booster shot" more than 14 days old.
So, booster shots are technically irrelevant, so not sure why they are even still mentioned. But if you are 'fully vaccinated' you don't need to test at all. The definition of fully vaccinated is
"You are considered fully vaccinated with an accepted vaccine : 2 weeks after the second dose in a 2-dose series, such as the Pfizer, Moderna, Astrazeneca, Sinopharm, Sinovac/Coronavac and Covishield vaccines, or 2 weeks after a single-dose vaccine, such as Johnson & Johnson/Janssen vaccine, or 2 weeks after the second dose in a 2-dose series combination of a single dose Pfizer or Moderna with a single dose Astra Zeneca, or 2 weeks after a single-dose of vaccine after a confirmed COVID-19 infection within 6 months before the vaccination (to be stated on proof of vaccination in absence of a digital COVID-19 infection certificate). the accepted Covid-19 vaccines are: Comirnaty (Pfizer), Spikevax (Moderna), Vaxzevria (Astrazeneca), Johnson & Johnson/Janssen, Covishield (Astrazeneca), Sinopharm and Sinovac/CoronaVac."
But it still doesn't clarify the hour window for Antigen test. Just the PCR showing 48hrs. "rt-PCR and antigen test sample for the SARS-COV-2 virus must be obtained from naso-pharyngeal swab in adolescents and adults. An oro-pharygeal swab is accepted in case of children."
So obviously they still need to correct it, to remove the reference to Antigen tests, if they are requiring only PCR tests, or clarify that timeframe. This really isn't rocket science, but they make it so.
If you are fully vaccinated, with or without a Booster shot, than you do not need a Covid test for submission of your EHAS application. Everything else pretty much stayed the same, such as, Mandatory EHAS Insurance and 5 day temperature monitoring.
Any clarification you need just reach out, I'll help.
The confusing part is it only mentions the rt-PCR test needed within 48 hours for unvaccinated. No mention of 48 from last flight to SXM. Also in the notes below it mentions Antigen test but no time requirement. Still a few bugs to be worked out.
The most confusing part of all of this seems to be so many incorrect posts that add unnecessarily to the confusion.
When the Minister of VSA first announced the proposed updated rules, there was a post that said, it was very clear to them, and that it required "two shots" in order to avoid Covid Testing. And the poster announced that if anyone had the single shot Johnson and Johnson vaccine that they would need the booster to meet the new guidelines. This post was wrong.
When there was talk about the publication of the new rules(updating EHAS) a poster said they do it the day of publication. Again, wrongly posted information, and on the two prior occasions EHAS did post their changes prior to date of the changes.
And today, there was a post that says "No mention from last flight to SXM" and on the prior rules, dated 19 January 2022, there was also no mention of that rule. Their words are "rt-PCR test within 48 hrs. before departure" and it is exactly the same both today1 March rules and for the 19 January rules.
Posts like these are possibly costing people their time, their money and their piece of mind by sowing the seeds of confusion.
NO, frankly, the official language from EHAS is the big problem, as it is often NOT clear. Why does it currently even mention booster shots when they are currently irrelevant? And why does the official site talk about antigen tests at ALL, if they are not acceptable for any purpose??
As I said, this is not rocket science. Someone in government needs to READ what is on the site and make sure it is clear.
Booster shots are not irrelevant for the 10's of Millions of people that have received them and wonder if they are impacted by the rule changes. A booster shot is just not necessary NOW in order to make your application receive approval from EHAS.
Below is their current data diagram that covers the rules for entry to SXM. Pretty self-explanatory. Do they need to clean up a few issues with wording or notes on their requirements page, sure, but that doesn't interfere with the meaning of their new rules.
So I’ve read and reread the updated requirements. Does it clarify somewhere that your EHAS application can be submitted no more than 3 days prior to travel to SXM? Am I missing something or can it now be submitted anytime prior to travel? Thanks!
It is not mentioned anywhere in EHAS travel requirements. But since the 3 day requirement is coded into the application form and not just the text of a webpage it is very unlikely that has changed, especially since those who still need a Covid test cannot complete the application until they have their test results(48 hour max)
Booster shots are irrelevant for entry into SXM at present. So, they should not even be referred to in the rules. For ME, personally, we are boosted, for sure. But, when one is talking about entry into SXM, they are currently irrelevant.
Someone from the SXM government needs to sit down and READ the requirements on the official site, from top to bottom, to ensure that the requirements make sense, read together. If booster shots are irrelevant to admission to SXM, which apparently they are, then it should say that, or just not refer to them altogether. If the only test that is currently acceptable if you are not vaccinated, is a PCR test, just say that. Or if you can do an antigen test, say that, and say what the time period is for that. It really is pretty easy to just sit down and write what the current requirements are. Just READ the requirements, top to bottom, and make sure they make sense together.
They didn't "stipulate that issue" in previous updates to the Travel Requirements. That policy was dictated by the maximum amount of time you had between taking your test and your final flight departure time. And since they have lifted the requirement for testing, for those that were boosted, back in late October or early November, EHAS has not allowed more than 3 calendar days for submission.
EHAS Submisson:
Fully vaccinated and you can apply 3 calendar days before arrival (no Covid test required)
Less than Fully Vaccinated, rt-PCR Covid test required and your testing must occur 48 hours or less prior to departure (you cannot apply until you have test results, meaning you have less than a 48 hour window in which to submit your EHAS application.
additional clarification from EHAS. In my initial correspondence with EHAS, I poorly worded my question and I was concerned that it might be confusing. I sent an additional request to them about testing, better worded this time, and they have responded again.
Short answer from EHAS, only a PCR test that was initiated 48 prior to entry to SXM would be accepted. A screen capture of the correspondence is below.
Looks like they took all reference to antigen tests out, but it still says you have to upload booster shots, which are irrelevant at this point. Hopefully no one gets denied approval because they aren't boosted.
Still no mention of not being able to apply till 72hrs/3 days before. Not having that included just adds to the stress when people don't know this and are denied because of applying to soon.
Looks like they still have the Antigen test mentioned in the main body. "Keep the original rt-PCR or antigen test result and proof of vaccination always with you."
OK. I hate to kick a dead horse and sound like I can't do 3rd grade math, but this is a big deal since we're going in April. We had our second Moderna on 02/09/2021 but no booster. So do I understand we won't need to be tested? That's how I read EHAS, too, but I don't want to trust my own interpretation since their site can be confusing. Thanks. I know this is a question from the department of redundancy department...but please humor me.
I've read about ehas and all the process/suspense and it seems they could save some time, money and stress by just checking Vax cards at the boarding gate. And if still worried, on landing. Make airlines fly unvaxed home.
None of this makes sense, since the vaccine doesn’t prevent infection or transmission. Hopefully SXM will come to their senses and remove all restrictions like the Nordic countries are doing.
