Total of 1,000 US pax by week's end

Daily Herald story

This is what is going to make it difficult for US tourists to be able to freely go to St Maarten. Businesses and economy will suffer if this keeps up. Probably necessary or the health of the island but not for the economy.
"We are not going to move away from that in the foreseeable future because that is the way we minimise any exposure to high-risk areas or medium-risk areas,” she said."

We wish to fly in from Canada, but the province we fly from will not perform a PCR test for travel so this limits our options. They will only perform a test for persons with symptoms.

Our other option is to fly from the US if we can find a location to perform the test, but if we are departing from Canada, that will entail purchasing 2 airline tickets and a stopover in the US to obtain a test.

It is too bad an alternative could not be offered such as being tested once you arrive in SXM and being quarantined at our expense until the results come in. Typically within 48 hours. Once the results are in, provided they are negative, you are free to go. Puerto Rico and Antigua are doing this.

That's the way Sxm is doing it if you arrive with wrong test.

Scubaman--is that official somewhere? I don't see it mentioned on

the travel update page

I guess I should have clarified that. If you arrive with a wrong test, like some did on those first flights with antigen tests, they will test you at your expense of $125 and have you quarantine till results are in. If results are negative you are free to roam.

Well, yes, that is what they did with some people during the first week, BUT is that an OFFICIAL policy? I don't find anywhere in writing that it says that. Just the opposite.

So far they have tested 261 at the airport.

But is that now the OFFICIAL policy??? They have changed the rules so many times, a person's head spins and one would hate to depend on that, to go get just any kind of a test, ASSUMING that the policy is now official, that they will test when you arrive.

Yeah, I'd hate to count on that as official policy. There is always a chance testing supplies could run low and they could turn you around instead of retesting you.

wilson--right, OR they could decide they can't afford to do it anymore, OR think they should enforce the rules as written.

At $125 a test. Bet they could afford it as long as they have adaquate supplies and capabilities.

I personally wouldn't BET my vacation on it.

I am afraid the ''welcome mat" has still been removed to American tourists. So many of us here call SXM our second home, or our favorite place to visit in the world, BUT...at this time the SXM government does not really want us, or our dollars on the island yet. I do applaud their trying to keep their people safe from the virus, and as long as the US numbers still continue to rise, I can see their fear in us being a factor in bringing in the virus...test or not. I keep looking at flights for March, but still will not be surprised if this upcoming trip does not happen. The government there, including the French side, are protecting their people's health, and putting that in front of their economy. Maybe (without getting political), this may have been the way for the world to have gone. Praying everyday, that the miracle vaccine (proven to work), will appear soon, and we will be able to put this entire Covid thing behind us, and hopefully then we can have some sort of a ''normal'' life again, both here and in SXM. Please, stay safe everyone.

And I for one, hope to be able to get that vaccine so I can see my favorite island again.

There are 40 countries (realistically more since any country not listed is considered high risk) on the list of Moderate/High risk transmission that have to follow the same rules. The welcome mat hasn't been removed for Americans. We are just being asked to follow a set of rules that apply to others as well. The Island wants tourist to come back, but they have to follow a procedure to minimize the risk.

Missing SXM terribly this morning, so please be kind with your replies. I believe, and a friend who is a retired surgeon, and another friend who has a PHD in biomedical science, believe that the virus most likely with never be eradicated, and we will have to do our best to control it with vaccines Vaccines, as we all know, in for instance, influenza are far from 100% effective. This is why testing is, and will remain extremely important in fighting the pandemic. There most likely, will be no silver bullet vaccine. I hope I am wrong. Going to watch some videos of SXM and SBH now. Stay safe.

That was said by Dr. Fauci last week. Like MANY other diseases they never disappeared off the face of the earth but they were (are) controlled by vaccines. Polio and Smallpox are examples of diseases that still are around but controlled by immunizations.

So COVID will be added to the list but hopefully minimized by vaccines

Prayers to that happening ASAP.

I heard nearly 60 people had to be retested again today at the airport either because their test did not say RT-PCR or naso-pharyngeal swab.