Sint Maarten now joins St. Martin in Level 4 per the CDC.

CNN LINK

This is "great" news!! SMH!! Even with over a hundred people getting vaccinated this week, the number haven't been going down!! Now with the FDA approving pfizer's vaccine. HOPEFULLY more people on the island will get there shots!!! We are set to go in Oct-Nov. But in all honesty, I can't get my hopes up.

colour1

i'm in the same boat as u....Early Nov
i am a pessimist.
I will be twice as pleased if everything turns out positive...LOL

We are scheduled for two weeks in November/December and still are not sure if we will go.

There IS one thing that you hope is negative

Israel, with an estimated 80+% of it's population "vaccinated".

Two interesting points in the article:

1. Health officials, and then Pfizer, said their data showed a dip in the vaccine's protection around six months after receiving the second shot.

2. Looming question: Will we need COVID-19 vaccines every several months? We don't know.

Huh.


https://www.npr.org/sections/goatsa...matic-surge-in-new-covid-cases-heres-why

People need to be positive and stay safe.

We just pulled the plug on our 3 weeks late oct —November alway enjoyed looking forward to our trips been going over 35 years. We usually stay on the French side Terra Basses with the increase in cases on both sides and the bridge replacement in sandy ground which is all ready a month behind set to start in September, they already had a crane problem and they never seem to hold to a schedule. We enjoy dining on both sides and travel everyday to different places, we just didn’t feel comfortable . I hope we are wrong and everyone who is there enjoy there time in SXM . We will have to wait until next year. I have not slept well for the last 2 months, hopefully this will help.

Staying on the French side is really problematic right now, with the 8 PM curfew, and as you say, the bridge replacement, for those in the area of Sandy Ground. We are still planning on going first week in October, staying on Dutch side, but am concerned, with the rise in cases, there AND here......

What does the CDC say about the united states. I am from Texas and we are not exactly setting the standard.

We are in the same boat. We're scheduled to go to the Dutch side the first two weeks in November and planned on not visiting the French side. In light of yesterdays CDC decision, we just don't know. Very sad. Haven't been there since January 2020. Been going every year since 2005. We are going to wait a month to see if more folks get the vaccine (because of the FDA ruling), in both the US and Sint Maarten, and we can get a booster shot of Pizer before our eight months are up.

We have a trip booked toward the end of october. Went for two weeks in early May and it went smoothly. Still plan on making this trip. The 72 hour window compared to the 120 before it a little tighter, but its worth it to us to get back if we can.

What strikes me as funny is you need a covid test to reenter the US from SXM, but don't need one if you walk across the border into Texas and then are put on a bus or plane to be relocated somewhere in the US.

zeus---Friends had reported to me that they could not obtain an appointment for a Covid test anywhere around here. Just went to the Walgreens site and there are NO appointments available for any kind of a Covid test at ten DIFFERENT Walgreens, within an hour and a half of here....... We paid $150 each for a test for our trip in June, because we couldn't get our free test results back. We have to make our final payment for our condo the end of this month... Getting really nervous now.

But test negative.

Hopefully this will change soon since FDA approved the Pfizer vaccine. Fingers crossed!

I didn't realize that Carol. I live in Fort Worth area and I have always been able to get in same day thru a drive thru testing at CVS. I did pay the $150 each to go to Maui last year, but our list trip to st maarten in May I got free tests. We already booked our condo and airfare, but unless they say we can't go we will go. We should all have a pretty good idea how things are going toward middle to end of September. Hopefully more people will take the vaccine now that it is approved and maybe cut down on some of this.

The only way I won’t go is they don’t let me. I was there in Dec 2020 and it was bad here not sure about the Island but I followed the same precautions I did in the states and made there and back no issue. I am still masking here because you can’t trust who is and is not vaccinated and I will be following the same precautions if I go Mask, distance, and eat outside or open air only. I like and stay on the French side it will be a minor adjustment having to be in by 8 but generally, I am not out past that time anyway. When I am in St Martin I tend to go to bed earlier and get up with the sun which is not my normal sleep pattern.

These days, we are generally back "home" not long after 8 PM anyway, when we eat on the Dutch side. But we found it a very stressful experience trying to get an evening meal in on the French side in June, and then getting back over the border to the Dutch side by 8 PM. I would not even try that again this trip.

The whole world is a crapshoot.

Odds are, if the island is open and you jump through the hoops, it will be a good visit.

The UK had a choice to open wide now with the Delta variant in hot summer or later in cooling/wet fall. Hopefully their experience will allow Delta to do its damage now and recede and that will be other countries experience as well.

But with the vaccines wearing off, i’m expecting thisto be another ?&@“! $”!ing winter season of lockdown/rules/masks and closures.

After just visiting, we will revisit SXM in 18 months which will be around New Years 2023. Having had trips 6,12,18 months apart before/after hurricanes/pandemics we appreciate it more at the 18 month mark and are spoiled at the 6 month point.

But we may stay months next time. Hopefully the crap will be gone.

yup Boucharda

I'm sorry that you have pulled the plug!! I know you will miss our island as we ALL did in 2017!!! We're not pulling the plug until the government shuts down. We had the worst time with the paperwork getting to the island. Thank God for friends that found the problem. Something about "PDF" vs "JPEG". I'm not that up on all of that, all I know for 24 hours, my stomach was in knots!! As I said with the Pfizer vaccine approval, hopefully more people on the island will get there shots, and the numbers will go down!! As for us, we were there in March into April, only dined at open air places, no crowds, hung out a lot at Beachside villa's. I was hoping that with the cruisers having to have a valid vaccine card, in that, that would be the way to go without all the testing!! Both of us, had another tough year, this is the medicine that no doctor can prescribe!!

This just came out
https://apple.news/A7CpC8q2dQzK783K8bwiVsQ

My six months is up in September. I want that third dose before our Oct/Nov trip!

So is mine!! I would like to get a third shot before our trip also!

We had our last Pfizer jab March 3. September 3rd is our six month time frame.

Go for it!!! We have to wait until November but that's fine

I, for one, don't plan to allow the CDC to make decisions about my travel plans. We're both vaccinated, and will get the booster as soon as it's available to us. I'm sad for the people who don't trust the vaccine, but they'll be the ones to get seriously ill, not me. Maybe that sounds selfish, but I'm a big believer in personal responsibility. I have control over only one person, and that's me. And it has not one thing to do with politics.

We'll be on the island for three weeks in November/December, unless the planes don't fly there.

March , hence November after eight months from the Pfizer vaccine for us . Okay I just saw that it's now six months , hence September for us too before we head to Toronto in September .

Georgia,

Posts like yours really make me wish for a ‘like’ button. I agree completely!

Ga- I also agree with you and we are returning to St Maarten end of October. We have had our Covid vaccines and will also get booster and flu shot as well prior to returning. We spent all last winter in St Maarten and had one of the best times ever over the winter. We were soooo happy that the (cruise ships) were not in over the winter as they are petrie dishes for mass spreading of virus .

Thank you, BeachKitten, for the update. It is good news that we may be able to get the booster six months after the second shot. I would feel much better about traveling to SXM In November with a booster.

While we are so willing to get our boosters, Don't forget your flu shots. According to this article you can get covid/flu at same time and if you do you are twice as likely to die.

https://patient.info/news-and-features/what-happens-if-you-catch-flu-and-covid-19-at-the-same-time

We're headed down for 3 weeks in Oct. and will go unless someone tells us we can't. We're vaccinated, hope to get the booster prior to going, will mask indoors and avoid crowded places. Grocery delivery if we need to. We'll enjoy our French side meals at lunchtime and dine outdoors. Honestly, the few inconveniences are worth it.

Of course I agree with Georgia, and will be on island unless we are not allowed. Personally I think we are now at the point that you should not be able to fly anywhere unless you are vaccinated(or bus or train). I would add that businesses should begin requiring proof before a person is allowed to enter their facility. Doctor exceptions, possibly but not for any other reason. Your choice to live life and be free to roam or your choice to stay in place. Then end the mask requirements.

Got our Flu shot last week. Booster next.

Yes, that's easy. i guess the CDC says now you can get that and the Covid shot at the same time, but I personally wouldn't want to risk it..

Correct but we wanted some time between them so that is why we got the flu shot now and plan mid to end of September for the Booster.

Yes, I do too.

I know this has been discussed a lot. We r traveling next week and getting tested on Monday with PCR. I was going to do the ID now test but got a email from American Airlines saying that St Martin required PCR 72 hours before or rapid tests 48 hours. Does the IDnow count as rapid.