US to require negative test for returning international flights

https://www.nytimes.com/live/2021/01/12/world/covid-19-coronavirus

https://www.reuters.com/article/us-...ternational-air-passengers-idUSKBN29H2KD

Im sure the NYT article was good but need a subscription. Here is Reuters equivalent. Interesting CDC official said concern vaccine may not cover mutations. Also, someday all domestic flights might have rqmt.

All I can say is this testing better become as easy as buying a candybar at the airport or it will further dent people’s plans to start traveling.

The Reuters article is in the Daily Herald today.

DAILY HERALD

CDC Expands Negative COVID-19 Test Requirement to All Air Passengers Entering the United States
Media Statement
For Immediate Release: Tuesday, January 12, 2021
Contact: Media Relations
(404) 639-3286
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is expanding the requirement for a negative COVID-19 test to all air passengers entering the United States. Testing before and after travel is a critical layer to slow the introduction and spread of COVID-19. This strategy is consistent with the current phase of the pandemic and more efficiently protects the health of Americans.

Variants of the SARS-CoV-2 virus continue to emerge in countries around the world, and there is evidence of increased transmissibility of some of these variants. With the US already in surge status, the testing requirement for air passengers will help slow the spread of the virus as we work to vaccinate the American public.

Before departure to the United States, a required test, combined with the CDC recommendations to get tested again 3-5 days after arrival and stay home for 7 days post-travel, will help slow the spread of COVID-19 within US communities from travel-related infections. Pre-departure testing with results known and acted upon before travel begins will help identify infected travelers before they board airplanes.

Air passengers are required to get a viral test (a test for current infection) within the 3 days before their flight to the U.S. departs, and provide written documentation of their laboratory test result (paper or electronic copy) to the airline or provide documentation of having recovered from COVID-19. Airlines must confirm the negative test result for all passengers or documentation of recovery before they board. If a passenger does not provide documentation of a negative test or recovery, or chooses not to take a test, the airline must deny boarding to the passenger.

“Testing does not eliminate all risk,” says CDC Director Robert R. Redfield, MD, “but when combined with a period of staying at home and everyday precautions like wearing masks and social distancing, it can make travel safer, healthier, and more responsible by reducing spread on planes, in airports, and at destinations.”

This order was signed by the CDC Director on January 12, 2021 and will become effective on January 26, 2021.

Does anyone know of facilities on either the Dutch or French side that can provide such tests in the 3 day window?

The airport does it for arrivals and I'm sure they will (or already do) make it available for departures....at $130/pp

#1 They have not stated what kind of test

#2 You really think we have the capacity to test every US passenger?

#3. OMG only 3 days? Seems many can't even get that in the US

What is a “viral” test? Is that the rapid? SLS will be booming but there is no way they can handle all flyers back to any country!!

This might be the final straw. Haven't yet found a good definition of "viral test". The order itself says "Nucleic amplification test or viral antigen test" but what qualifies? Where can a tourist even get the tests done? SXM needs to come up with something n quickly of tourism we come to a screeching halt very soon.

THIS is going to be interesting.

I have a brief trip scheduled later this month - arriving 1/26 and leaving on 1/31.

When I booked the trip I was fully aware of the PCR test requirement within 120 hours of arriving as this is consistent with requirements in other areas. I understand that SXM now requires travel insurance, but I don't see where this can in fact be purchased.

I am very concerned about not be able to get a test (which one?), and get the results 3 days before I'm supposed to return. Does anyone have any guidance about what's involved in getting this test? Where? How much? Etc?

I know postponing the trip seems like the smart decision. However, if everyone does this, it will truly cripple the local economy and I hope there is a way to make this work.

Any guidance would be appreciated.

This is going to be a deal-breaker for many. If one tests positive after reaching SXM, I presume that person is required to stay on the island until they test negative. Given the prevalence of false positives and the fact that one can test positive for weeks or months after infection, who is going to take that risk? We are scheduled to be there the second week of February and, unless this requirement is relaxed or is not adopted, we will not go.

You purchase the insurance when you file for your EHAS approval. Can't help you with the required test to return.

I am with you guys. I am almost at the point of cancelling my air and taking the credit and just eating my commitment on lodging as this has disaster written ALL over it.

Here is FAQ from CDC. FAQ details what type of test is accepted.

I have a trip planned for mid-February. Because I'm confident that it will all be ironed out by then, I have no intention of changing my plans.

Very well stated Elaine.

Thanks for the link but NO mention of how the international departure points are to prepare or handle this. Very little thought by the CDC about how this should be handled or the impact on travelers and the departure countries.

Yep. And because of this, I'm pretty confident that this will either go away or change significantly. It was poorly crafted and not well thought-out. It can't stay like this. Too many countries lack the infrastructure and documentation capabilities to support this.

We are scheduled to arrive Feb 28 leaving end of March I don't see any problem for us. The problem I see is 3 of our kids are coming for a week so basically they will be there for a couple of days and have to be tested to fly home, And we all know because Dad invited them who's paying for the test's It's all good.

100% agree. Very sad to screw up something like this with what appears to be a TOTAL lack of any forethought by the CDC, imagine that!

Another thing.... airline gate agents will become the arbiters of which documentation is acceptable. So if I present a PCR test that I purchase on the island, is that good enough? If I present documentation of a positive test and recovery (a letter from my healthcare provider), does the gate agent decide whether this is acceptable?

This can't stand as it is written. I'm gonna shut-up now, before I get into a political diatribe about the workings of the CDC ...

Do you really think the island is capable of testing EVERY passenger returning to the US? I hope I am wrong, but unless something changes, I see a potential BIG problem.

For what it's worth, here's a link:

How to Get Corona Covid-19 Test Results on Sint Maarten within 24 Hours


They can process just 200 tests per 24-hour period. That's not enough.

No sh*t.... That's gonna work. Not..

PM just said we will be prepared to provide the test.

JD - what? The US plan isn't clear? Shocking !

I JUST TESTED POSITIVE WITH MINIMAL SYNPTOMS, ALL TING BEING EQUAL, AS I UNDERSTAND IT I CUD STILL TEST POSITIVE MORE THAN 60 DAYS OF SATIFACORY RECOVERY..........................ANOTER KICK IN THE TOURISMS PROVERBIAL [censored]

I'm sure the airlines and St Maarten Government will find a way to get people tested for travelers leaving the Island for USA. Tourism is 100% the economy.

Good luck with that !!

It's not just St. Maarten, this will completely kill international tourism to and from the US.

For sure.

And to Elaine, yes, the US "Plan" is very unclear and leaves LOT to be desired!

And at another added cost. You keep throwing on $30 to $100+ charges and many will say the heck with it and stay home.

Kudos for your post, Elaine.

Much as I hate to say it, and wanting to be in SXM as much as anyone can want, this directive, should it stand, may well be the straw that breaks my camel’s back.

I know how much we personally went through trying to get our tests and approval to visit after Thanksgiving and I know it put a bit of an over-all damper on the trip for us. And then we had a bit more stress in getting our negative tests upon our return. All worth doing, but more stress, nonetheless.

I just don’t know that I’m willing to jump through anymore hoops and much as I love the island. I don’t think I can believe it will be ready and able to handle multiple planes full of passengers all needing testing for the same flights.

I fully agree the safety of everyone needs to be the most important consideration but there does become a limit to what some of us are willing to deal with in the hopes of a good vacation. And I’m not even thinking about costs here - just more added requirements to honor.

The question becomes, “Is it really worth it?”

Not trying to pile-on this mess, but this little tidbit that just occurred to me: The CDC is relying on citizens of a foreign country to enforce their rules.

Delta, United, Spirit, and American airline employees working at SXM are NOT US citizens. Yet they are charged with enforcing US law. How stupid is that? And, if a COVID+ passenger gets past this foreign airport screening, what are the consequences? What can the CDC do to punish a gate agent working in SXM (or Paris, or Berlin, or Tokyo)?

Yeah, great plan...

US airline agents have been enforcing SXM and other countries rules for months. How is that different?

I've heard saliva tests only take 15 minutes for results. Someone could make a bundle if they set these up in airports across the world. I wonder if you can pre purchase these and take them with you and have a dr/nurse/medical authority administer it and sign off. I hope to return to sxm someday but not this year. last there for a week stay in 2017, 2018 got canceled due to hurricane. was there for a day last march on a cruise.

Here's the difference: Gate agents have never been required to enforce CDC rules. They enforce immigration laws, but not CDC rules. So they will now be reviewing a variety of new and unfamiliar documents: Test results from different labs, as well as documentation of positive virus tests accompanied by a note from a doctor that approves travel. And these lab results and doctor notes will be in a variety of formats, and subject to agent interpretation (what if the doctor states that patient tested positive, but does not definitively state that patient is OK to travel?). It's a big mess. We can agree on that...

Our group is scheduled for 2/13 for 3 weeks. If it seems SXM is able to get us test results, we will still try to go. I'm hoping it will work out. My wife and 2 of my daughters already have the 1st vaccine shot, 2nd shots next week.

I would think that the resorts might provide these tests for their guests. I'm sure more is to come as that date gets closer.

Another interesting point is that you can have a doctor's certification that you've had Covid and have recovered from it. The CDC has already stated that they don't know how long immunity lasts if you've had the virus. Why is that acceptable yet the vaccine is not? Rhetorical question, of course.

I believe the CDC has previously stated that you are immune for at least 90 days after testing positive and as I remember the new directive, it says you do not need to test if you were positive in the previous 90 days. All we have with us here in SXM is the test report stating that we were tested positive in December and an email from our county health department releasing us from our mandatory isolation. My concern is that some gate agent at the airport will not take that to be official enough.

Doc Soc just asked the question to the PM if they will be prepared to give tests to visitors for their return flights to US. She indicated they would be and have 2 weeks to prepare for it.

Honestly, I don't see any way that they will be able to give that many tests, in a prompt fashion.

I would hope that they will allow the Rapid test, which is Viral from what I have read. If they allow that then results with in an hour are common, just had two friends test at the PDX airport to fly to Hawaii and they got their results back in under an hour. The cost was about $130 with proof of upcoming travel. I see that in San Jose Del Cabo the rapid test is under $50, that is our next destination. My assumption is that SXM could do the same, again assuming the rapid will be acceptable.

What I also read on the rapid however is that it has a high rate of "false positive" results, like 20% range.

We are not cancelling our April trip to SXM, and I have to believe that somehow this is going to work out and not crush travel. Think Positive, but don't become positive.
Cheers from the mighty Pacific NW !

Doc Soc just asked the question to the PM if they will be prepared to give tests to visitors for their return flights to US. She indicated they would be and have 2 weeks to prepare for it

As I posted earlier

Yeah, I know that's what she SAID. I think she's full of it.

Yep.

How many flights to the USA operate each day? I don't know, but we have JB, AA (CLT & MIA), DL (ATL & JFK), UA (LGA & IAD), Spirit. Plus Winair to SJU. I know I missed some. Anyway, that's at least ten to twelve per day, and likely more on some days. They're looking at as many as 1,000 passengers that need to be tested. For flights on a single day.

That's a lot.

That is the current process in the USA for travel TO SXM. They enforce the rules of travel to SXM..yes, not CDC rules but rules necessary to travel....I can't see an issue with travel back (from an airline verification process) but the testing procedure is a biggie problem

You need a passport and negative test...type of test TBA.....maybe

But think of the profit that they could make on this, if they get about $25 profit per test then that is $25k per day. Think like a politician, how do you line your pockets off of the situation and part of that is the need to keep people visiting the island.

YUp...as I said previously they are doing $130/tests for arrivals....not a biggie to set up for departures

But that is not NEARLY for everyone who arrives. Not sure what the percentage is of arrivals, far less than 10%, one would think.

This was taken from the FAQ section of CDC.gov .... they indicate they will accept both types of tests. We've gotten a list of several clinics that can supply them from the Airbnb owner we are staying with. We are going to head on down and hope they get it ironed out by mid February. We'll keep monitoring - I'd guess things can change quickly!

When do I need to get a test to travel to the US? And what kind of test do I need?

Get tested no more than 3 days before your flight to the US departs. Make sure to be tested with a viral test (NAAT or antigen test) to determine if you are currently infected with COVID-19. Also make sure that you receive your results before your flight departs and have documentation of your results to show the airline.

Sorry, I am NOT buying that at all. Way too many changes from previous statements, timing and protocol for dealing with tourists.

This is a nightmare...

https://apnews.com/article/us-will-require-travelers-covid-19-test-7bd66c0014e597f930423c86beca5707

That story is not accurate. It makes no mention of the exception for those who have had the illness and have been given clearance from their physician to travel.

I don't think a note from your MD will suffice. I did not see that in any country entry restrictions. Antibody test..yes ...for some

I read that here (link).
"Airlines must confirm the negative test result for all passengers or documentation of recovery before they board" (emphasis added).

It's also here (link).
"you may travel instead with documentation of your positive viral test results and a letter from your healthcare provider or a public health official that states you have been cleared for travel. The positive test result and letter together are referred to as “documentation of recovery.” (emphasis added)

So, yeah, only a note from a MD will not suffice. Positive test result needed as well.

And that is the problem. The CDC has placed airline ticket counter employees as arbiters of what's valid and what's not. I have a positive test result, and a note from a doctor. I hope it works when I am scheduled to leave the island next month. In addition, I plan to bring a printed version of the CDC webpages referenced above to present to the ticket counter employee.

You are correct and I was mainly referring to LEAVING the USA and the requirements of each country. My response was not appropriate for this thread directed to returning passengers

Maho group announced just that..starts on the 20th...guests and staff

I have "heard" (rumor and hearsay are such wonderful things!) that if you have received the vaccine you will then test positive with the Rapid Antigen test. That seems to be the test that will most likely be readily available on SXM. I'm curious if anyone has actual experience with this. Seems like a catch 22 situation.

Suppose you test positive upon returning to US what happens to you?

I expect the rules in your state is the same as just about everywhere Self quarantine

https://www.thedailyherald.sx/islands/maho-offering-rapid-antigen-testing-for-staff-from-jan-20

I would have to think that it has more to do with the fact that if you have recovered, you are no longer able to TRANSMIT the disease? They aren't concerned about re-infection.

Better than testing positive BEFORE you return

But you can get it again, at which point you can again transmit it. Therefore, if you became reinfected while abroad, you can transmit it on the plane or when you get home. Total stupidity, in my opinion, and a very poorly thought out plan.

Daily Herald story

I have zero level of confidence this is going to work out. Glad I don't have a trip coming up soon.

Yes, I guess time will tell, but my confidence level is about non-existent.

I'm headed down in February. It's my plan to travel with evidence of a positive SARS-CoV2 test along with a document from a physician indicating that I am clear to travel. This will be my safety net, in the event that I don't receive my test results in time for departure.

Sorry, a POSITIVE test????

It's right here (LINK)
"Airlines must confirm the negative test result for all passengers or documentation of recovery before they board" (emphasis added).

It's also here (LINK)
"you may travel instead with documentation of your positive viral test results and a letter from your healthcare provider or a public health official that states you have been cleared for travel. The positive test result and letter together are referred to as “documentation of recovery” (emphasis added).

(Positive test with my name on it is dated early December.)

OK, those links are both to the CDC, which is for re-entry into the US . You are talking apples and oranges. Your post was talking about is entry into SXM , which is a WHOLE different thing. As far as I can see, there is no similar 'out' in the Travel Requirements for SXM. LINK

LOL.... this thread has gone back and forth regarding which way a person is travelling.

I was responding in reference to the original post and Title (as well as replying to your post referencing your "zero level of confidence").

But, yeah. To get TO this island, you need a negative test. To leave the island headed to the USA, you need negative test or the documentation that I referenced.

Whew!

Simpson Bay Resort will do testing for travelers starting on the 20th of January...and Maho/Sonesta group announced the same earlier.

Edit: Just read another thread mentioning this....oops