Draft Motion re Rapid Testing

I just saw this on a Facebook page. I can't share the actual post, but here are images of the Draft Resolution.

just read it 1/2 hour ago, seems like a no brainer in some respects to me

A step in the right direction. Hopefully it is acted on in a positive and expeditious manner.

In lue?

This is good news.

Excellent that option ii potentially possible for those who do not get their results back in time for travel. I hope they consider and implement it.

My testing in Rhode Island was free and got the results in time for my trip when it was still during the 72 hour requirement period. If they want to see a major increase in the visitor count don't start it off with a big fee.

Yup....and that would be the way to go BUT, if there is a delay in getting your results it wouldn't prevent you from travelling. We, like you, were tested at the Convention center. My results took 3 days and my wife got hers on day four.....right on the edge. We may be outliers BUT it is possible ...and now, maybe, there will be a backup plan

100% correct on the big fee.

that would defeat the purpose

No disagreement here but you know how things work at times.

Rapid tests are great, but are they going to be capable of administering the thousand or more needed on a Sat. afternoon in prime season ?

Good point. But it probably wouldn't take much longer than it's taking now to check the paperwork.

And this should certainly be enacted sooner rather than later since too many would-be visitors are changing or cancelling trip plans or just not bothering with Sint Maarten at all and going elsewhere instead.

It should help stimulate more people to consider going. Now, if the airlines just get their acts together we would be going in a very positive direction.

AT the end of the article it says a report is due within a week

i think the paper was dated 21 OCT

The draft motion is posted on the Facebook site for the St. Maarten Parliment.

Facebook page for Saint Maarten Parliment

The indication posted there is that the motion was voted on yesterday (23 October) and approved (for further review) by an 11 to 3 vote.

Fingers crossed for a good outcome.

just wonder how long it would take before it become operational.....IF it is approved

My guess, and it's just a guess, is that it won't go into effect until December 1, at the earliest. Too late to help me, but will help most high season travelers.

me 2, but as u say, December should be attainable and the country should be a bit more desirable to visit with the relaxed requirements. But the sad part is how the positive covid-19 spiking is now in the US and what restrictions may have to reintroduced if the proverbial u know what hits the fan in the next month

...and that would be a reason for the testing of all visitors by some method. If you can reasonably say that everyone that arrives is negative then it shouldn't be an issue for the countries involved.

With that said I wouldn't want to go to SXM untested and rely on being negative when I am in the SXM airport....it WOULD hit the fan if you came back asymptomatically positive, had to quarantine for 14 days or so and couldn't fly back until you were negative

boucharda--for sure, I would still get tested at home.

We're flying four weeks from yesterday. Even though a test is required before we fly, we are somewhat self-isolating for the next month, just to be safe. If we were able to take a test upon arrival, we wouldn't take one at home. Free testing isn't widely available here, and the tests we can get with reasonable timing for results are expensive.

Everyone has to do what they feel is best for them, but the risk to me is too great not to take a test before, even if it is fairly expensive, because of the real possibility of being asymptomatic. Possibly having to quarantine for two weeks on island is a bigger risk than I personally would take.

I would test before I went for same reasons.

I would still test before going as well. But I would probably do the rapid test the day prior. And same upon return.

If I've been fairly isolated for a couple of weeks before I travel, it's pretty unlikely that I'm infected before I fly. Let's be real about this.

The point is "fairly isolated".... Too risky for me, not to get tested..

Your choice. I'm not going to get sick by going to the grocery store. I think the whole thing is very overdone. Am I going to a party with a hundred people I don't know? Of course not. Am I having a birthday party with family I know and trust? Yep...next week. I refuse to live in fear.

I hope you're right, and I don't want to turn this into a covid thread, but your point about the grocery store struck me because my colleague was isolating at home (she lives alone) and the only place she allowed herself to go was to the grocery store. And she got covid (and was pretty sick too). Fingers crossed for everyone with their plans, travel and otherwise!

Angelface--Amen, and going to a birthday party?? Not me...

Maybe it's different depending on where you live (I don't really think so), and I don't want this to become a covid thread either. But if you take the proper precautions to keep yourself safe, then going to the grocery store shouldn't be dangerous. As to the birthday party, it's in our home, in a well-ventilated area, and with close family who we've been in contact with for months. Again, I'm not going to live in fear. We all have to do what works for us.

I'm with you on that can't continue to live in fear but I would still get tested prior to a flight to sxm.

I wouldn't have a problem doing that if I felt it would be a benefit. But would I spend $250 per person, which is what it's costing us now? No.

I too would test at home prior to travelling to SXM. My wife and I have been at home for 6 months and the super market is the only place I go. 2 weeks ago I started with chills, fever and body aches. After several days of feeling miserable, I went to a medical clinic operated by an area hospital. I was examined and the doctor said its either the flu or Covid. They did a nasal swab and 2 hours later phoned me at home to tell me I have Covid. I was shocked that I had contracted Covid and spent hours questioning where did I let the virus in?, I never leave the house without a mask and carry my own sanitizer and paper towels. The county health department called and told me I was to quarantine in our home. The nurse asked me many questions and started contact tracing. I listed 5 people including my wife, adult children and 1 elderly neighbor that I had contact with in our house and also listed the 3 local markets I have visited. All 5 people were contacted and placed in quarantine. Several days later the county sheriff showed up at our homes and delivered orders of quarantine.
Unfortunately my wife did contract the virus and we are both home with symptoms. The neighbor and our adult children have since tested negative and have not had any symptoms.
I still question how this happened to me? When this is over and I have to leave the house, rubber gloves will be part of my defense.

John--I hope you and your wife are OK..

Update.
https://www.thedailyherald.sx/islan...ular-hrs-introduce-rapid-antigen-testing

I wonder how they will work the insurance thing since the article made it sound like a combo fee for testing, insurance and COVID treatment capabilities in SXM

Back to private insurance being OK?

I’m also curious what this means for travelers that prefer to do the testing before they leave. We’re fortunate to have fast and free testing nearby, so I’d much rather do that than pay for something else on arrival.

I'm pretty sure they'll require you to test using their system, even if you already have tested at home. But again, that's just a guess.

That would be my guess as well. Another layer of "protection" and also some $$ for the island government.

So sort of what Anguilla is doing too. You have to have a negative test to even go, but on arrival you have to have another test...

Correct and I see nothing wrong with that. Would take out having to look at the different individual test result forms from passengers. More efficient having all tested on arrival rather than sifting through which ones to do.

Honestly it would make more sense to be tested before you board the flight to SXM. Results uploaded and attached to your passport or how ever that works, then upon arrival the system would be updated. Not really sure how immigration works, but there must be an interface between arriving and departing airports and the airlines.

I agreed with you .

Another here who agrees with you, Kim. That sounds like a far more sensible approach to meeting the needs of everyone concerned.

But then SXm would not get the test revenue....and it sounds like it's a package deal with the insurance also....so buy your own insurance and get tested before you leave but pointless when you arrive since all will be repeated....

I guess we will see what the final decision is.....

It should NOT be my way or the highway...negative test prior to travel and your own insurance should be all that's needed.....again, we will see

At this point, I'd really just like to know what's going to be required and how much it will cost. We're scheduled to arrive in mid-December. As long as it's reasonable, I assume we'll do whatever they ask, but it's hard to plan financially if there may be an additional few hundred dollars (three of us are traveling) added on to the trip cost over the next six or seven weeks. At least the flights were more affordable than normal.

I think we would all like to KNOW what to expect but at this point, it is still the 5 days and original test requirement. Anything else is just speculation. At least there is something in the works from how it appears.

Everybody traveling needs to be aware of the regulations and know they can change quickly. It has been posted and implied (erroneously) on some SXM facebook groups that the rapid test is now in effect. This is NOT accurate. People need to read more than the headline of any article. I would continue to monitor the SXM government website for updates.

TRAVEL AND HEALTH INFORMATION

SXM GOVERNMENT SITE

well said Rural, spot on

Absolutely, JD. I'm always amazed at the folks that post a question on the Facebook sites, saying that they're traveling next week, and want to know if there are any travel restrictions and/or requirements!

GaKaye, it does make for some interesting reading!

I guess because of my association here and long time travel to SXM, I stay up on what is going on more than a lot of people. But, I still learn things almost every day as I am sure others do as well. While we strive for accurate information here that can be backed by facts or a link to the origin, I don't get how some think asking a perfect stranger is the best solution for an answer. Often the answer may be accurate but I much prefer some substantiation of the facts from an "official" source

Lots of long time visitors here that are a resource for valuable and accurate information. And, we get some "locals" that are a very valuable source of information as well.

I am getting a new watch band for a watch through a jeweler in SXM (bought it there), and he told me the same thing - the Rapid Test is now approved for everyone coming in. I told him I would wait to get that information from the SXM health department website, but also that even if they do have the test there, I think most would still pre-test, they don't want to get into a plane without knowing if they have it or not. I suspect soon the airlines will also require a pre-test. Hopefully this will all be behind us in six or seven months.

It may be a done deal, but there certainly have been no official announcements to that effect. The official SXM website is still the same as it has been since September 15, and there has been no story in the Daily Herald either. I agree, I definitely would still get tested at home, if I were going soon.

So if you test positive at SXM, what do they do? Can't imagine an airline allowing you back on a jet to get off the island if positive.

very valid point Todd

I have to assume that one would have to quarantine themselves on island until you were no longer positive..

and who would decide where you would be quarantined? would your resort have to isolate you with other positives????

There in lines the problem. If testing is changed the only change that makes sense is to test upon boarding for last leg of flight to SXM.

I agree that is an issue, BUT how does SXM do that without having their people at all those ports of embarkation? No way that SXM could afford to do that.. The only way to do that would be for them to accept testing run by the AIRLINES, which I guess AA has started such a program.

And that was my thought back in March when I had to quickly leave the island. I booked a trip for Nov. 2020 in May, it is now cancelled, thanks to Delta. I currently have a trip booked for March 2021, a full 12 months after this started. Six or seven months has not put this behind us, although things may be looking a little brighter, but we may be in the exact same situation six or seven months from now.

Exactly.

All the uncertainties about everything are why we're not going this Nov. No worries.

I doubt you'd be getting on the plane without that EHAS approval form, which you're not going to get if you don't have the correct test. I'm still planning on getting the brain-tickler test in two weeks. While I hope that will change, I don't have a lot of confidence in that. And as Todd said, what do they do with you if you test positive once you arrive?

RI Bob, interesting post. Wondering where you got your test done - free and the results back in plenty of time. Thankns