Here We Go Again?

Has anyone heard of any new travel restrictions being imposed because of the Omicron variant?

With regard to St. Maarten? No.

Not for visitors from the US or Canada, they are changing entry requirements for those travelling from The Netherlands.

Give it time. I am betting changes will be coming.

I agree.

"As of Monday November 29, 2021, all travelers who have visited one of the following African countries within 14 days prior to traveling to Sint Maarten will be denied entry: South Africa, Botswana, Lesotho, Eswatini, Zimbabwe, Namibia and Mozambique.
As of Monday December 6, 2021, all fully vaccinated travelers from countries in the very-high risk category will be required to provide a negative 48 hr. PCR or a negative 24 hr. Ag test result. The following countries will be listed in this category the Netherlands, Germany, United Kingdom, Poland, Belgium, Denmark, Czech Republic, Hungary , Norway, Slovakia, Liechtenstein, Austria, Switzerland, Monaco, Bulgaria, Bolivia and Trinidad and Tobago."

I thought the Netherlands had confirmed 13 cases of Omicrom. Why aren't they on the list?
I can't believe this is happening again.

The Netherlands is on the second list, so a pre-entry Covid test will be required as of December 6th. But if anyone from the Netherlands (or any other country) has travelled in any of the restricted African countries in the previous 14-days they will be denied entry as of November 29th.

While I don't like it, I can certainly believe this is happening again, and suspect it will continue to happen, until all countries somehow manage to either get their populations closer to 80 or 85% vaccinated, or reach herd immunity the hard way by actually contracting the virus. We also have to encourage our governments to help get vaccines into the hands of other, less-fortunate, developing countries and find ways to overcome vaccine hesitancy both at home and abroad.

Until that happens, the unvaccinated become a breeding ground for new variants, some of which will potentially be more virulent. This is no different than other pandemics. We were just fortunate due to modern technology and medical knowledge to have developed vaccines sooner, which helps limit infections and deaths. The virus will continue to spread and mutate until there is no one left to infect. As many have said, we may be tired of Covid-19, but it has a lot more patience than most of us.

New rules from France.
HeraldLINK

The Gov's have shot themselves in the foot financially tourist wise with these knee jerk follow the leader covid rules they must be running out of feet by now. High season is almost here and a not good time to be promoting more hoops and road blocks to go spend money on SXM so they can eat too.

Perhaps they are trying to save lives.

Essentially, what France has done is to say that the same rules which apply to travelers from the US apply to travelers from France.

Bingo Elaine!! It is nice to see them putting lives before dollars. I am sure the government was purposely thinking on how they can inconvenience all the tourists just to piss them off before they come. smh.

No. It's looks to be more restrictive if coming from France. Did you read the full article I posted?

You are kidding right? Unbelievable.
irina

Lockdowns and restricting travel do not work.... not to mention the symptoms appear to be very mild with this "new" strain so no need to panic and shut everything down.

EdB- it is fairly easy for you to sit in America where you have resources and say that it is "putting lives before dollars" if you are a week to week worker in SXM depending on tourists to be able to feed your family then restricting tourism more is scarier than this mild "new" strain.

Maybe you should inform the CDC of your findings re: "very mild symptoms" since they are still trying to determine that:



You may be correct but I do not know the source of your findings...

Edit....I do agree that lockdowns do NOT work

This is where I got the "mild" symptoms from-

"The South African doctor who first alerted authorities to the presence of the COVID-19 omicron variant reported that it presents "unusual but mild" symptoms.

Dr. Angelique Coetzee, a board member of the South African Medical Association, first noticed otherwise healthy patients demonstrating unusual symptoms on Nov. 18.

"Their symptoms were so different and so mild from those I had treated before," Coetzee told The Telegraph."

That would be great and actually not a reason to change any restrictions in place (if any) BUT to have 61 positive tests on just two flights to the Netherlands brings up questions of increased transmissibility and, again, not a major factor in vac'ed people but the jury is out on the rest of mankind. Brings up the question that was/is this a common occurrence on recent flights pre Omicron

I prefer to wait for a statement from OUR CDC vs. one MD in So. Africa.....absolutely could be correct but I will wait

Completely respect your opinion to wait, just don't want politicians making knee jerk reactions when there is at least some indication from the originating area that the symptoms are mild. I fear over reaction more than anything at this point.

Agree as do some in high places:

Anecdotal reports from a single physician with respect to severity are about as valuable as Aaron Rodgers “immunization” for Covid. There is simply no way to know, however positivity rates have increased dramatically in South Africa. I have been a pediatrician for 40 years in the front lines on the war against infectious disease and there has never been a bug so thoroughly studied. As such, we will be continually confronted with new information that skeptics and antivaxxers, in their naive ignorance, will cite as errors in management and lies. We have to wait for the science. The incredible thing is that with current mRNA vaccine technology new gene sequences can be plugged into the current vaccine production process and be available in 3 months in the US. It’s magnitudes better than standing in line as a child for a sugar cube laced with protection from Polio.

...and the stock market is taking a hit today because the CEO of Moderna predicted that existing vaccines will be less effectve against the Omicron variant...also testing has shown that the Regeneron antibody treatment for Covid is also less effective

The severity of symptoms is the key.....this is still being evaluated

Going for our booster vaccines tomorrow .

Good job, LESLEY. Hope all is good.

Good for you. Now talk all your friends into getting vaccinated too if not already.