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Re: Border closed until October 1st.
[Re: freedomfighter]
#234562
09/14/2020 08:29 PM
09/14/2020 08:29 PM
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Joined: Aug 2000
Posts: 81,514 Central Florida!
Carol_Hill
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Joined: Aug 2000
Posts: 81,514
Central Florida!
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freedomfighter--I get you. This needs to stop. There will be nothing left of the island's economy if this stuff continues..
Carol Hill
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Re: Border closed until October 1st.
[Re: BillandElaine]
#234571
09/14/2020 09:50 PM
09/14/2020 09:50 PM
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Joined: Mar 2009
Posts: 18,064 Auburn, WA
SXMScubaman
Traveler
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Joined: Mar 2009
Posts: 18,064
Auburn, WA
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Border controls will remain in place until October 1, 2020
MARIGOT—Border controls to French St. Martin will remain in place until October 1, Préfète Déléguée Sylvie Feucher confirmed at a press conference Monday afternoon, following a meeting earlier in the day with Préfecture, Collectivite representatives and regional health agency ARS Director General, Valérie Denux, on the health situation. Denux specifically insisted on the extension. ARS assistant director Jean-Francois Cayet indicated the health situation is still very concerning although there are signs the second wave has hit a peak and the curve is flattening. He said efforts need to be “doubled”. Currently there are 117 active cases in St. Martin bringing total confirmed cases since the epidemic began to 334. Some 75 new cases have been registered since the last report. In total, 21 persons are hospitalised, including three St. Martiners n the Guadeloupe Hospital. Cayet said capacity in the Guadeloupe hospital is saturated with all 20 beds in the intensive care unit (ICU) in use. More beds are to be made available. He did not have the current COVID-19 figures for Guadeloupe to hand but there are clusters. One item of good news coming out of the press conference was that rapid antigen testing has been requested by the ARS for St. Martin as a priority. It is currently being tested in Paris and maybe available in St. Martin in as little as two weeks, Préféte Feucher said. The whole process from testing to the result takes about 30 minutes. Cayet disclosed another free polymerase chain reaction (PCR) testing campaign will be starting from October 10. ARS representatives will be meeting with their Dutch side counterparts on Tuesday to discuss joint testing, it was also disclosed. Feucher said the following two weeks will be focused on continuing to bring the number of cases down. She added requests for “chômage partiel” (part-time working) has also gone down indicating a slight recovery in the economy. Asked by the Daily Herald if the October 1 date could be extended to October 15 if there is little improvement, she said emphatically “No,” suggesting the next two weeks could be a last concerted push to bring cases down before the tourism season starts. That is not likely to be any consolation for protest organisers such as Soualiga United which has signalled its intention to react vigorously if the border controls are not lifted today Wednesday. “To open the border now is to throw away all the good work the health professionals have been doing to slow spread of the virus,” she insisted. “A free circulation will result in more cases and more deaths. And then how will the population react? It’s a very difficult decision to make. Opening the border now also has the risk of the Préfet of Guadeloupe severely restricting travel between the French islands, Paris and St. Martin. That can make the economic situation even worse for St. Martin.” Asked how prepared she was for trouble based on the decision to extend, she said: “We are prepared. I don’t want to see violence, but we will see. I think it’s a pity if violence is used to solve a health problem.”
At the press conference Monday in the Préfecture were, from left: ARS Director Frederique de Saint-Alary, ARS Assistant Director Jean-Francois Cayet, and Préfète Sylvie Feucher. (Robert Luckock photo)
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Re: Border closed until October 1st.
[Re: BillandElaine]
#234579
09/15/2020 06:30 AM
09/15/2020 06:30 AM
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Joined: Mar 2005
Posts: 718 Colorado
sxmbeachlover
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Joined: Mar 2005
Posts: 718
Colorado
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Sounds to me like a reasonable plan if you read it in its entirety.
Famous Quote from SBHonline: The best moderation is the least moderation.
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Re: Border closed until October 1st.
[Re: BillandElaine]
#234581
09/15/2020 06:37 AM
09/15/2020 06:37 AM
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Joined: Dec 2004
Posts: 4,992 Massachusetts
boucharda
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Posts: 4,992
Massachusetts
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I thought the sentence on rapid testing potentially being accepted for use in SXM was interesting. If it will be good enough for SXM then they should in tern accept the same testing prior to travel for visitors.
...and I agree. I can't see how visitors can make plans when things change (or potentially change) every two weeks or so
Last edited by boucharda; 09/15/2020 06:39 AM.
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Re: Border closed until October 1st.
[Re: boucharda]
#234592
09/15/2020 08:31 AM
09/15/2020 08:31 AM
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Joined: Nov 2009
Posts: 3,278 Maryland/DC Metro
BeachKitten
Traveler
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Joined: Nov 2009
Posts: 3,278
Maryland/DC Metro
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I thought the sentence on rapid testing potentially being accepted for use in SXM was interesting. If it will be good enough for SXM then they should in tern accept the same testing prior to travel for visitors.
...and I agree. I can't see how visitors can make plans when things change (or potentially change) every two weeks or so But my read is that the rapid testing was a French St. Martin initiative.
"It is good to do nothing all day, and then to rest"
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Re: Border closed until October 1st.
[Re: CaribEagle]
#234596
09/15/2020 09:46 AM
09/15/2020 09:46 AM
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Joined: Mar 2001
Posts: 17,190 Ohio
ruralcarrier
Traveler
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Traveler
Joined: Mar 2001
Posts: 17,190
Ohio
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I wish it would open now but at least according to the report the border will open Oct. 1st which should allow visitors and residents to begin to make plans. I would NOT count on that. They have been playing this 2 week game for some time now. I am all for being safe but not at the cost of totally killing the island economy, especially for the locals that live on one side and work on the other. That is WHEN there is work.
J.D.
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Re: Border closed until October 1st.
[Re: sxmbeachlover]
#234599
09/15/2020 10:09 AM
09/15/2020 10:09 AM
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Joined: Jul 2002
Posts: 1,132 Washington, DC/SXM
Angelface
Traveler
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Traveler
Joined: Jul 2002
Posts: 1,132
Washington, DC/SXM
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Sounds to me like a reasonable plan if you read it in its entirety. If they stick with it, yes. The most interesting part of this article is the rapid antigen test! If adopted by both sides of the island (and is proven to be reliable) it could be a game changer. Fingers crossed because this current situation isn't sustainable. Closing the borders without cracking down on the things we know are causing community spread makes little to no sense.
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Re: Border closed until October 1st.
[Re: Carol_Hill]
#234636
09/15/2020 02:46 PM
09/15/2020 02:46 PM
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Joined: May 2002
Posts: 5,125
Kennys
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Posts: 5,125
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Big protest meeting will be held soon close to the border. Both sides involve . Tomorrow at 7.30am.
Last edited by Kennys; 09/15/2020 02:51 PM.
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Re: Border closed until October 1st.
[Re: Kennys]
#234639
09/15/2020 02:51 PM
09/15/2020 02:51 PM
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Joined: Aug 2000
Posts: 81,514 Central Florida!
Carol_Hill
Traveler
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Traveler
Joined: Aug 2000
Posts: 81,514
Central Florida!
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I hope there is no violence, although I know that there is a lot of (justifiable) anger over this.
Carol Hill
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Re: Border closed until October 1st.
[Re: Carol_Hill]
#234643
09/15/2020 03:06 PM
09/15/2020 03:06 PM
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Joined: May 2002
Posts: 5,125
Kennys
Traveler
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Traveler
Joined: May 2002
Posts: 5,125
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Re: Border closed until October 1st.
[Re: BillandElaine]
#234650
09/15/2020 04:24 PM
09/15/2020 04:24 PM
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Joined: Dec 2004
Posts: 4,992 Massachusetts
boucharda
Traveler
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Traveler
Joined: Dec 2004
Posts: 4,992
Massachusetts
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It's not like it's France and Netherlands....it's one Island....with two nationalities. They need to get there sh*t together and cooperate to make a one Island economy for residents AND visitors
Sorry but it's Captain Obvious commenting
Last edited by boucharda; 09/15/2020 04:25 PM.
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Re: Border closed until October 1st.
[Re: BillandElaine]
#234656
09/15/2020 06:06 PM
09/15/2020 06:06 PM
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Joined: Mar 2009
Posts: 18,064 Auburn, WA
SXMScubaman
Traveler
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Joined: Mar 2009
Posts: 18,064
Auburn, WA
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Not able to provide a workable link.
EDIT from Carol Hill---Scubaman--I have NO idea where this came from and whether it is copyrighted, so I am deleting the story. Do you understand the concept of copyright infringement???.
Motorcades to cross border in protest against extension of controls to Oct. 1 MARIGOT—Motorcades departing simultaneously from the Bellevue roundabout and the Causeway roundabout on the Cole Bay side early Wednesday morning will pass through the Gendarmerie check- point, creating a two-way non-stop traffic flow in protest at the Préfecture’s decision to prolong border controls to October 1, at the same time sending a strong signal that the island refuses to be divided.
Last edited by Carol_Hill; 09/15/2020 06:17 PM.
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Re: Border closed until October 1st.
[Re: boucharda]
#234676
09/16/2020 05:19 AM
09/16/2020 05:19 AM
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Joined: Sep 2003
Posts: 18,541 St Maarten
BillandElaine
OP
Traveler
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OP
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Joined: Sep 2003
Posts: 18,541
St Maarten
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No, It's France and St Maarten, TWO distinct Countries. Over a hundred nationalities.
Elaine ********************************* God Bless the broken road....
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Re: Border closed until October 1st.
[Re: Kennys]
#234692
09/16/2020 07:28 AM
09/16/2020 07:28 AM
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Joined: Mar 2001
Posts: 17,190 Ohio
ruralcarrier
Traveler
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Traveler
Joined: Mar 2001
Posts: 17,190
Ohio
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Based on some live videos I am seeing on facebook, looks like a very good crowd and not violence that I have seen. IO TV LINK
J.D.
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Re: Border closed until October 1st.
[Re: PelicanPirate]
#234697
09/16/2020 07:45 AM
09/16/2020 07:45 AM
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Joined: Apr 2001
Posts: 14,533 Brookfield, CT.
pat
Traveler
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Traveler
Joined: Apr 2001
Posts: 14,533
Brookfield, CT.
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Mickey Mouse government entities with great beaches and vistas.
Barbados is giving the heave ho to the Queen to dump its colonial vestiges.
Time for St Martin to say au revoir to gay PARIS and Sint Maarten to dump the King.
One island I don’t have a horse in this closed border race since we most regularly stay on the Dutch side of the island, but really? You think the existing governments should be over thrown and consolidated into one? They’ve pretty much coexisted peacefully all these years- and I personally hope they can continue to do so even if it sometimes becomes problematic or inconvenient to the occasional visitor. I enjoy making the occasional foray to the French side beaches but I AM ONLY A GUEST and I will deal with ‘whatever’ just to be on the whole island - either nation. Remember the old ad campaign - one island - two cultures! Long may it last.
Respectfully,
pat
"Always keep your words soft and sweet, just in case you have to eat them."
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Re: Border closed until October 1st.
[Re: PelicanPirate]
#234700
09/16/2020 07:50 AM
09/16/2020 07:50 AM
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Joined: Sep 2003
Posts: 18,541 St Maarten
BillandElaine
OP
Traveler
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OP
Traveler
Joined: Sep 2003
Posts: 18,541
St Maarten
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Not even worth a response. Perhaps you should find a "better" place to go.
Elaine ********************************* God Bless the broken road....
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Re: Border closed until October 1st.
[Re: BillandElaine]
#234703
09/16/2020 07:53 AM
09/16/2020 07:53 AM
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Joined: Mar 2001
Posts: 17,190 Ohio
ruralcarrier
Traveler
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Traveler
Joined: Mar 2001
Posts: 17,190
Ohio
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Not even worth a response. Perhaps you should find a "better" place to go. I agree, pretty rough comments and self-centered thinking. The two very distinct sides of the island and their way of life is part of their heritage and what many find unique and attractive about the island.
J.D.
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Re: Border closed until October 1st.
[Re: BillandElaine]
#234706
09/16/2020 08:27 AM
09/16/2020 08:27 AM
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Joined: May 2002
Posts: 5,125
Kennys
Traveler
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Traveler
Joined: May 2002
Posts: 5,125
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