TravelTalkOnline Forums Travel and Vacation Forums St. Maarten - St. Martin Do you think SXM will open to tourists by May?

The wait and see what will happen in the next few weeks is frustrating.

No

No one has a crystal ball, NO ONE. So any predictions cannot be trusted.

With airports world wide being shut down, just like after 911, you can use that as a guide as to when things will begin coming back again.

We are still here and things are quiet, as expected.

AP is reporting it peaking in 45 days and will still be dealing with it through August.

https://apnews.com/67ac94d1cf08a84ff7c6bbeec2b167fa

Just hoping I can make it down on June 22. But I'm not overly optimistic.

Hmmm, AP reporting. As I said, no one has a crystal ball.

I want to stay positive. We have sheltered in place for the last two weeks. We are trying to be responsible. I may be a dreamer but as we come out of winter and into “mud season “ in Maine we need something to look forward to. If allowed and it is safe we will not cancel our mid May trip to SXM. Beachball races are still scheduled to run starting May 17.
The world for the most part is fighting as one. We will get through this.
Losing a vacation is not the end of the world but the prospect of being on our favorite island is worth dreaming about.
SMILE!
carib cheers
doctorj

“I was told that all you needed to go to the grocery stores was a mask and gloves.”
They lied.
All the other people were wearing clothes.

"The world for the most part is fighting this as one."

Except for the country that started and is responsible for this.

Hope so. We are due to arrive May 8 for 3 weeks and again in July for 2.

NO

“I was told that all you needed to go to the grocery stores was a mask and gloves.”
They lied.
All the other people were wearing clothes.
[/quote]

Doctorj,
Thanks for the laugh.

I seriously question whether our November trip will happen but I’m crossing my fingers that it will. I wouldn't be nearly as optimistic about May but I guess we’ll find out soon enough.

Good luck everyone.

On the one hand, I'm sure that government officials will put the safety of its citizen first, and not allow tourists until there this pandemic has completely passed and no longer poses a risk to residents and tourists alike. On the other hand, they will be chomping at the bit to lift tourist bans, and get their economy back on track. No one wants that more than the government and its people. As much as I like to stay positive, I am not real optimistic that our trip on 6/4 will happen. If not, no biggie, I will just reschedule when this all passes. And pass it will......

May? “ Almost “..Absolutely yes. But nobody really knows for sure , it’s all a matter of opinion. Remember all the doomsday people that said SXM would never recover from Irma and those that reopened were mostly thriving. Time will tell.

Who knows.

I told employees on 12 March, I think in incubation increments of 14 days We are in our first increment of trying to minimize exposure with mixed results.
I see at least another 14, and another for good measure.....42 days minimum or around 24 April. Double that 84 days is (5 Juneish).

Wuhan, if you believe what is said/read, was at least nov-mar before they felt/said no new cases. 120 days + in winter.

Italy will be a “comparison-other” for all western countries to be better than in terms of duration of outbreak, % infected, % fatality

Stay home, wash your hands. SHWYH

I honestly don't think so. Been trying hard to understand this virus and learn about it, but it's so new (hence 'novel' coronavirus) that May seems too soon to me. If I had reservations for May or June, I would try to re-book for possibly November or early December with the hope that no hurricanes strike later this summer. I strongly believe that by late May the number of new infections in North America will begin to level off, and with the warmth of the summer months COVID-19 should begin to bow out of the picture (like SARS did back in 2004). It may come back in the fall when temperatures begin to cool again, but my hope is by that time it will have mutated downward and produce symptoms no worse than the common cold. I would also like to think a vaccine would be possible by November.

But it's always warm in St Maartyen.

True, so I think the number of infections on SXM will be somewhat controlled. The issue, as I see it, is the governments allowing flights to-and-from the island. Once things stabilize in the U.S., France, etc. and the powers at hand allow airlines to resume a normal flying schedule on St. Martin, then it is my hope that the island will bounce back and all the restaurants, bars, etc. will be back in full operation. If COVID-19 follows SARS (of which is shares 80% of the same DNA makeup), then hopefully the number of infections will begin to decline in North America and continue to fall thru the summer. We can use clorox wipes to wipe down everything in site, but in reality the main transmission route for a coronavirus is thru respiratory droplets that fill the air and stay suspended in the air column when someone openly sneezes and coughs. A hot, humid summer will go a long way in suppressing these droplets as moisture they take it essentially weighs them down, gets them out of the air column, and has them fall to the ground where people cannot breathe them in so easily. So, my hope for is a hot, humid summer here in Pennsylvania and I promise I will not complain one bit about the heat if that happens.

And if the person coughs or sneezes inside where everyone is in the air conditioning?

True, but far fewer people crowd indoors during the summer months than they do the winter months. No one can predict how this particular virus will react in the coming months, but history has shown that many viruses begin to dissipate when warmer weather sets in. Let's hope this is the case with this one. Getting back to the original question about St. Martin being open in May, it's hard to say what will come but from a personal standpoint I would re-schedule until the fall.

From someone who just escaped, I wouldn't be in a rush to get down there.

It was great seeing old friends but our vacation was ruined by the closed beaches, bars, and restaurants.

Actually, it was ruined by the virus. Sorry our safety measures didn't suit you. How's it going in your hometown?

A lot of lives are ruined on the island to deal with this. A vacation is insignificant.

Hopefully few will be infected on the island and if they are they won’t need hospitalization.

If it is 3-4 weeks, the island will bounce back way quicker than Irma.

The stats from Italy have 36% of victims 71-up, 37% of victims 51-70, 25% 19-50, and 2% 0-18.

2/3s over 50. Do we ruin the world economy for us older people? Maybe we need to self isolate, social distance for a year.

After we bend the curve, smooth the peak, build some hospital readiness, we will eventually have to let this virus run its course hopefully with a warm weather benefit or we will all lose our livelihoods.

Those 50 and up really need to be more careful until a vaccine arrives.

There’s a possibility and then there’s probability. The possibility is there, the probability is maybe 50%.

The travel industry is getting pounded as are many other industries. People want to resume normalcy as much as possible And as quickly as possible.

Funny ,but I hold the same views as you regarding mud season. I was so happy to get 8 awesome days of skiing up at Jiminy and Jay this season. Hoped to get back to Jay again, (heard the NE had more snow a few days ago, such a shame). Love the snow.

But mud season /spring is the worst.

The problem here is Corona just woke people up to better hygiene. To me, I’d had the flu, plenty of the common cold and norovirus once after a kid was quarantined on a AA SXM-MIA flight 4 years ago.

Since that time, I walk around with Clorox Healthcare wipes and wipe down everything. My plane seat, buckle, every surface is wiped. For years, I’ve tended not to shake patients hands either. Spock’s live long hand gesture works.

My folks are over 70 and I make sure they stay home but it sucks even if they get the flu. Tougher on their systems.

It’s less about quarantine and more about every day hygiene. I hope to see flights by Memorial Day weekend.

I stare at the data everyday, I have no life.

Many, many places have little, no growth in cases. Or very little.

Let’s hope that stays true and maybe we can open our lives again earlier than we might think.

Obviously, we won’t until we are ready.

And we may very well need a vaccine for every year thereafter. Hopefully not.

When we left the island on Saturday...there was one case on the island. They were hoping to keep it that way. I just read on another sight...that as of today there are EIGHT reported cases. Not a huge number increase...unless you do the percentage...but if this number goes up to double digits in the next few days....and into triple digits within a week or so....the answer will be NO....you won't be welcome back by May.

Maybe we can just put the elderly out in a colony like the lepers.
On the NY news the chart is much worse for the 40's to 50 year old.

Our top doc said that they believe it will be back in the Fall.
I'm not trying to be negative, but I think you are .......

I'm sorry that the island is hurting, as is everyone, but bringing the virus to them may be much worse,
We have to take care of everyone. Stay home.

Keeping our fingers crossed that we would be okay for May because we business people need the finances to pay our bills.

Everyone on SXM definitely needs to be able to pay their bills, for sure. Very scary times for all.

Yes but Holland and the local Government is working on a plan to help all those that are loosing their jobs and those that are unemployed. The general agreement has already been agreed on and tomorrow we will know the details. Will see how they will help us the small business owners .

Glad to know that Holland is stepping up.

Yes and this is not about Politics , this is harsh reality period.

Hopefully the funds are properly disbursed and to the right people and business owners. Good luck.

No fear and the right will be done . Already the Banks are giving three months in break .

That is good to know given the past political corruption on island.

And GEBE too!

My cousin is a fire chief for a local volunteer department. He gets briefings twice a day. Asked him if he thinks it will be back to normal by May and his words were “Very Unlikely”.

The problem is many of the SXM lovers may have lost their jobs because of Covid -19 and may not have the funds available to travel. This may have a lasting effect on all businesses worldwide.

Yes Elizabeth, that is exactly what my taxi driver friend of 29 years said the other night when we talked. Except for not having to rebuild, he thinks this will actually be much worse than coming back from the likes of Irma. Lack of $$ to travel and a push to stay at home for vacation and who knows what the airlines might do. It may not be a quick recovery for tourism at all, especially on the cruise front and with people who have to make 1-2 connections for air.