Frustrations at PJIA

https://www.thedailyherald.sx/islands/tourists-complain-about-unclear-travel-and-health-requirements

No kidding. This is what happens when things are unclear, change multiple times and the "powers that be" seem not to agree on what is actually required.

Strange, most tests in the US are carried out under the EUA, so they are happy to use those tests to portray hoe bad the US is doing, but not happy to use them for entry, can't have it both ways

Interesting, as the story is correct, that the requirements listed online no longer have the "no EUA" in the requirements. And wow, four days of quarantine waiting for results??? Yikes..

Up until Yesterday the stmaartenehas.com website showed test with the EUA statement were not accepted, so I don't buy the story that requirements were changed at the last minute or not clearly communicated. It's the failure of the travelers for not asking questions about what their RT-PCR test will say before they got them done. They should be lucky they only had to pay $125 for a retest, because that is a deal compared to what others are charging.

My understanding, based on limited research, is that no tests have been approved in the US other than under the Emergency Use Authorization. Why SXM chose to exclude those tests is anyone's guess, but I speculate that they didn't really understand what its significance was. Now that they ave more knowledge, they've eliminated that exception. Again, just speculation on my part, but it seems to make sense.

I agree with everything you said, however I would just caution about them eliminating the EUA. Just because it is off the website, I would wait to hear actual travelers going through with the EUA statement being allowed through without retesting or for Richard Panneflek, Minister of Public Health Social Development and Labour, issuing a statement saying test with the EUA statement are vaild for entry.

wilson--The other issue is that, even if they MAKE a statement today, they can change it tomorrow, as they already have, several times.

I don't disagree, but as Carol just pointed out, things are changing daily. My hope is that things will have leveled out by the time we fly in November, and that the requirements will be clear-cut and more or less static.

Another issue could be what the US or individual states could require for returning travelers in the near future.

That is one of the issues I posted previously--And
what happens if you do catch the virus while there??

Things are getting very complicated. November is getting very close, and
the virus doesn't seem to be going anywhere.

Honestly are any states outside of Alaska and Hawaii actively enforcing their requirements? Even New York City talks a big game about having checkpoints and how aggressive they are going to enforce their quarantine, however, I know someone who traveled to NYC this past weekend from South Florida and no one ever checked them for anything. I also read a story about how a mother and daughter traveled to New York for the daughter to return to college. They made the daughter quarantine, but since the Mother was going to be there less than 2 weeks, she was allowed to travel freely getting groceries and such for her daughter. These rules are a joke.

News reports say that CT has fined two returning residents, one for $1K and another for $2K. It's a start.

I found the story on that, they were fined for not filling out the paperwork. It was the second time for the person who was fined $2k. Filling out the paperwork is one thing, but I haven't seen any enforcement after that. Even here in Florida, with the checkpoints that were setup at the state line and monitoring at the airport, no one ever checked up on people to ensured they quarantined. Plenty of people from the Northeast came down here when our quarantine rules were in place, but no one ever enforced them.

Exactly...so why even bother saying you can test prior to arrival when , if the testing lab is exact, it WILL have the EUA on it.



Really? They had to pay for TWO tests with the second one basically an extortion event. I don't consider that any where near "lucky"

I have seen pictures of results that people have received an RT-PCR test and their results did not have the EUA statement on them. People just need to ask before they get the test.

That makes zero sense with ALL tests being performed under a EUA.

"So you will do a test for me and I will get the results back reasonably quick..great....but....ummm.....could you leave off the EUA thing for the only place on earth that doesn't like that correct documentation.Thanks a bunch "

Rinky dink extortion event....sorry...

...and WHO approved the SXM tests to make them the be all and end all of COVID tests? Probably the lab that charges the $125

Rant over...

I'm not insinuating to ask to have the lab leave that notice off the results. Just the fact the lab did not put that statement on their results.

SXM has dropped the not-EUA requirement, at least for now.

Actually boucharda, it would be less expensive for me to get the $125 test in SXM.

There are numerous places here doing FREE testing. I could get one from the County or at work for FREE. Go with the wrong (EUA) test, and take the $125 one. However if they are upping the quarantine time to 4 days from the 1 for results...not so good.

BeachKitten--yeah, that 4 day deal really sucks.

I would need to have a 4 day supple of Rum. LOL

Could be worse. Norway just added France to their list of countries that have to do a 10 day quarantine upon arrival. Just took effect at midnight on Saturday, August 8th.. Flight from France just landed seconds after midnight. All passengers were required to do a 10 quarantine. Had they arrived before midnight, they would had no quarantine.