French border open today

Free movement of traffic between the French side and the Dutch side has been restored at Bellevue-Cole Bay border and at the Belle Plaine (French Quarter)-Belvedere border. This means no security check and no need for passes or waivers for Dutch side residents to go to and move around in the French side.

At the time of this post, the containers blocking the free movement at Oyster Pond and at Cupecoy are still in place.

For the time being, there is no official information from the French side authorities that the controls have been officially lifted as was announced two weeks ago. The opening is solely based on the non-presence of border control officers at the two checkpoints.

As a reminder, the lifting of the last restrictions was subject to the ratification of a "memorandum of understanding" drawn up by the Regional Health Agency between the French authorities and the government of St. Maarten.

(Source: Le Pélican St. Martin)

Good to see things kind of going back to 'normal'..

Personally hope they never open the border at Cupecoy. Keep out the hordes of scooter bandits. We rather like living on our little peninsula.

The Prefecture has published an announcement that the border opened at midnight last night, and that the containers will be removed.

Bahston-- the remaining containers, you mean? Elaine already posted that the other border points were now open.

It isn't clearly stated in the document, but that's the sense that I get. I don't know if there were also containers at the border checkpoints where Gendarmes were stationed, but the other two border crossings had only containers blocking the roads.

Correction - I reread the document, and it IS clearly stated that the containers are being removed from the border crossings where there were only containers blocking the road.

The Oyster Pond border is my main route to the French side and the short route for pizza.

All internal borders are open today.

Thanks! It is a start to opening the island up...