COVID help

Not quite sure how to address this. My request is for those of you on the island in the know, if there is anyone in government who can be contacted to express the frustration of those of us in the US who want to return to SXM, but who live in states where we can not even GET the PCR tests, let alone in 3 - or now, 5 days.

Thanks, Carol, or whomever posts this properly!

I concur. I hear there is a shortage of those swab sticks and that's why only people who may show symptoms are getting tested in our area. Hoping they open it up to the other testing options available. I think if airports could give tests and charge for them, I would gladly sign up for that service.

I needed a PCR test with results in 72 hours and found a saliva test offered by Vault Health. I took the test on a Wednesday morning and got it to a UPS store before noon that day. The result was emailed to me by 11:30 am on Friday.

I would check to make sure this particular test meets the requirements of the country you plan to visit. Hope this info helps.

https://www.vaulthealth.com/covid

wendy--I saw someone post here about a test in Rhode Island and apparently they do accept Mass residents. You might try to find that thread.

The saliva test is NOT what SXM is requiring.

When I got my test in Providence last week I saw Massachusetts plates on some of the cars in line. You can get to their website by going to https//health.ri.gov./covid testing

I would contact them and see if you could get the test. If you are going on travel they expedite the results to 24-48 hours. Mine took 43.

Testing was free.

If you get it do not waste any time in sending results to SXM for them to give you an ok to come. You must have a copy of this although I saw some people showing a telephone screen.

WHEN I ENTERED THIS I HAD NOT SEEN THE 5 DAY POSTING. A MAJOR DIFFERENCE FOR US.

"The test result should clearly specify the name of the laboratory, test subject name, test date, type of test administered and how the test sample was obtained. Typed, written or e-mail statements from doctors or non-laboratories will not be accepted".

Bob--thanks for posting.

For those near RI (Providence) call the RI Dept of Health Covid help line if you have questions...but they do take MA residents or any visitors to RI 401-222-8022. It takes a while to get through the phone tree but they answered right away and were very helpful

Go to the portal and sign up....COVID portal link

When you are ready you can schedule a test....one of the reasons is travel to an area/state requiring a test

Edit: it is a RT-PCR test

Thanks everyone! I'm hoping to have options in MA in the next month, but good to know I can go to Providence if necessary.

Carol; not sure if this is the right spot for this question; I did check the SXM health site and note the 5 days regards the test and the site now lists Covid insurance is suggested not required. Let me know please if you check the site and come up with the same result regards the insurance. Thanks

It's never been REQUIRED to have Covid insurance, at least up to now.

https://www.facebook.com/sxmairport/photos/a.10154059808610402/10164085258600402/

Thanks SXM Scubaman for the airport link on requirements to enter. For some reason I thought when USA citizens were finally allowed in that Covid insurance was required. We always buy the travel insurance through American Airlines and have used it twice.

Glad to hear that the border is open, but Covid testing is still our biggest issue. We have plane tickets for early Dec and haven't cancelled yet. However, in our area (WV) you can only get tested if you have symptoms, are low income in a rural area of the state, or a college student. Therefore if the restriction of a very valid recent test is not removed or the supply of testing swabs doesn't improve we will be going somewhere else I do not personally know of anyone who has had the virus, but the number of cases in our state has been increasing fueled primarily by cases among college students who are being quarantined on campus. I'm not sure that the governments on SXM know how difficult it is for some people in the states to get these tests even ignoring the 5 day window. Driving to RI is not an option for most people. Either testing by the airlines or upon arrival in SXM would seem to be good options but I don't see that happening. There have been almost no cases of transmission via air travel so the current airlines protocols seem adequate. The temperature reporting requirement does not bother me at all and seems very simple, however I question if it does much good. I expected this issue to be well behind us prior to December, but now I have serious doubts.

Is it possible for you to go to your departure city ahead of time and get tested there?

Thanks for the suggestion. Departure city is Charleston, WV to CLT. So we would need to change the flight to CLT to ge in a day or 2 earlier or drive to CLT and then find a place in NC to get tested. Really hoping the requirements change. Even though we love SXM, it seems like it's going to be much easier to go somewhere else. Especially since the airlines seem to be allowing easy flight changes.

Dan---while I certainly sympathize, I think there are places you could drive to, that are a lot closer than Rhode Island?? How far are you from Kentucky, Maryland, Ohio, PA or VA? IF you really want to go, I would think, with the new guidelines, you could get a test.

Currently there are 5 active testing sites in Charleston, WV, possibly more. Most everyone is using Labcorp in the region for processing and Labcorp is listing that they are turning around results on an average of 24-48 hours. With proper planning and scheduling and the extension now, by St Maarten, from 72 to 120 hours it should be fairly possible to accomplish your testing locally. I have attached a link to a site that allows you to find some testing centers near you in almost all of the states. Good luck.

Testing Centers

bdeeley - Thanks for the link. I will call them when the time gets closer. I think their current guidelines are not to be tested unless you have symptoms or a known exposure. I still have more than 2 months so maybe things will improve. The comment about RI was not meant to be literal, but to demonstrate that if people in a densely populated area like Mass are having problems meeting the requirements, maybe the requirements are hindering tourism to SXM more than people realize. On a side note (that I find somewhat humorous and since you asked)..We live 5 minutes from a non-densely populated section of Ohio. But if we visit Ohio we are supposed to quarantine for 2 weeks before visiting a more elderly relative than us. If we don't her caregiver is not allowed to provide care until the relative quarantines for 2 weeks after our visit. This applies even if we are only going to the grocery store or buying gas in Ohio.

Dan--I'm not EXACTLY sure how that website works, but if you click on "Accepts symptomatic" and "Diagnostic", it still gives you 3 choices. Not sure what "no referral needed" means. I assume, without knowing, you could get a referral from your primary care physician.

Some of the testing sites allow you to show up for testing without appointment and without a doctor's referral. Most testing sites accept Travel as a need for testing and you can use confirmation of your tickets as proof. Testing for travel is an approved need based testing by the CDC.

With a little more checking, I have found an at home test that is FDA Authorized and uses RT-PCR through a nasal swab, meeting the exact criteria that SXM is requiring. The test is $120 including shipping both ways and they give you the paperwork to request reimbursement from your insurance company. The turn around time on results is 24-72 hours. I have included a link to their site below. The return shipping to them is next day air, pre-paid by them.

From their website: "Your sample is analyzed in our lab using an extremely accurate RT-PCR based test to confirm the presence of coronavirus (COVID-19). We aim to deliver your result within 24-72 hours of your sample being received in our laboratory."

Lets Get Checked - COVID-19 testing

Lots of good info. When I saw Carol's note I clicked on the Accepts Asymptomatic and only one of the websites disappeared. When I clicked on No referral needed all of the websites disappeared. So you need a referral but asymptomatic is OK at some places. I called one of the places and the person I talked to said referral meant a Doctor's order and they had a Dr on staff. Most of the asymptomatic is supposed to be for contact tracing but depending upon test supplies and backlog they will do testing for patient peace of mind and possibly for travel. $185 each I think if I go that route I would get an order from my Dr prior to going to the testing site.

I think we're all learning a lot. It might be time to start our own travel Covid testing business.

Dan--yeah, I would definitely get a doctor's order before. Can't hurt!

A golf buddy of mine returned from FL to MA a couple of weeks ago and needed a COVID test or quarantine....the only way he could get a MD referral was to say he had a sore throat and a cough (not true)...no MD order for Travel. no asymptomatic MD referrals at least in MA

It is ridiculous that we don't have a national directive that all states have to follow, instead of this mishmash we have now where every state makes its own rules on Covid testing.

I don't disagree, but there's this thing called the 10th Amendment.

Yep.

Kitkat---NOT going there.. That ends in a political discussion that we can't have here..

Good call.