About

About 2022 ST MAARTEN’S TRAJECTORY TO NORMALCY

St Maarten 2022 intends to reopen in May… The trajectory to normalcy is St Maarten’s 2022 slogan.

BEFORE leaving St Maarten, or if you intend to visit, EHAS is the first step after booking your flight or cruise.

Explanation of EHAS and its importance:

Sint Maarten EHAS https://stmaartenehas.com/travel-requirements/
General Information
GENERAL MEASURES
Please adhere to the following general measures in effect on both sides of the island and help us keep it safe:

Wearing a mask is mandatory in all public places, airport, public transportation, supermarkets and in all areas, buildings and stores where social distancing is not possible.Keep a safe distance of 5-6 ft (1.5 – 2 m) at all times, including beach visits.
Wash your hand frequently with soap during 20 sec. or use hand sanitizer containing at least 65% alcohol.
Sanitize your hands before entering a store or supermarket.
Discard of the disposable mask in a closed bin. Wash a re-usable mask at least every other day
If you become sick with fever and flu like symptoms, please contact the hotel front desk and/or the public health authorities immediately on phone number 914.
Make sure to carry along a reliable thermometer, in the event that you may have to be quarantined and for daily self-monitoring.
Do not take more than 4 persons in your rental vehicle if not part of your family.
Comply with all instructions from the island authorities and the airport, your hotel, restaurants, stores etc.
What are the Core Actions taken in our Tourism Industry?
Throughout the tourism industry, St. Maarten has established 6 core actions that will be undertaken as basic guidelines to preventing the spread of COVID-19 on our island and our citizens and visitors have to adhere to which are:

Physical distancing with proper floor/ place marketing
Proper Face coverings
Frequent handwashing, sanitizing and proper hygiene practices
Frequently cleaning surfaces
Employees that are sick are encouraged to stay home and report illness
Mitigate touch points as much as possible.
To ensure that St. Maarten remains a safe destination all lodging facilities and tourism businesses have specific criteria for sanitization, social distancing and other COVID-19 protocols in order to open to guests. These measures will enhance protection of visitors, staff and our nationals.

At the Princess Juliana International Airport the Coronavirus taskforce created a safe airport environment by implementing airport safety protocols. This includes: the mandatory use of face masks covering the mouth and nose, continuously monitoring safety protocols in coordination with airline and airport partners, an awareness program on social distancing for passengers and employees, mass fever screening stations, mandatory hand sanitizing stations located throughout the airport, regular disinfecting of hard surfaces throughout the day combined with deep cleaning regimens during low capacity hours, and high quality Plexiglas barriers separating front-line staff and passengers.

Travel Requirements

TRAVEL REQUIREMENTS (January 19, 2022)

ANNOUNCEMENT

1.  Transit passengers with final destination Saba, must complete an EHAS application for Sint Maarten.

GENERAL INFORMATION

1. Due to the COVID-19 epidemic Sint Maarten has established a mandatory health pre-authorization application through an Electronic Health Authorization System (EHAS) for every visitor arriving by air including transits, Sint Maarten and Saint Martin residents. Without the health pre-authorization boarding will not be possible. Be advised that processing time can take up to 12 hours. For visitors arriving by ferry boat from St.Kitts and Nevis, Anguilla, St. Barth’s, Saba and St, Eustatius and cruisers without an agent health pre-authorization application through the Electronic Health Authorization System (EHAS) is mandatory as well. Other maritime vessels please read the latest requirements here.
2. The requirements vary depending on the country risk and vaccination status. Please scroll down.
3. All fully vaccinated travelers:  the completed vaccination date cannot be older than one year, unless a booster shot has been administered before the ending of the one year term. The booster shot must be at least 14 days old. The EHAS application must still be completed. The date of completion of vaccination must be submitted as well as valid proof of vaccination (official country vaccination card or QR code, full name and name, dates administered and batch number(s) of vaccine) from the country where the vaccine was administered. A received booster shot must be indicated in the appropriate field and proof thereof (official country vaccination card or QR code) must be uploaded as well.
4. You are considered fully vaccinated with an accepted vaccine :
   • 2 weeks after the second dose in a 2-dose series, such as the Pfizer, Moderna, Astrazeneca, Sinopharm, Sinovac/Coronavac and Covishield vaccines, or
   • 2 weeks after a single-dose vaccine, such as Johnson & Johnson/Janssen vaccine, or
   • 2 weeks after the second dose in a 2-dose series combination of a single dose Pfizer or Moderna with a single dose Astra Zeneca, or
   • 2 weeks after a single-dose of vaccine after a confirmed COVID-19 infection within 6 months before the vaccination (to be stated on proof of vaccination in absence of a digital COVID-19 infection certificate).
   • the accepted Covid-19 vaccines are: Comirnaty (Pfizer), Spikevax (Moderna), Vaxzevria (Astrazeneca), Johnson & Johnson/Janssen, Covishield (Astrazeneca), Sinopharm and Sinovac/CoronaVac.
5. All non- fully vaccinated, are required to have a negative Covid-19 test in accordance with the required type of test. For the age category of 5 up to 10 years, an oropharyngeal swab will also be accepted.
6. The government of Sint Maarten has implemented a mandatory COVID-19 insurance for all travelers with destination Sint Maarten with the exception of Sint Maarten residents, transit passengers departing the same day (checkbox), flight crews (checkbox), transiting cruise ship crews (checkbox), French nationals residing in France or a French territory, BES-ZVK insured (checkbox) and AUC faculty and students (special procedure). The insurance purchasing process is an integrated step in the EHAS application. Travelers requiring the COVID-19 insurance must complete this process upon application. For more information on and all questions related to the COVID-19 insurance please visit www.sxmprotectionplan.com or contact customer support at [email protected]
7. The application must be completed in order to be processed. This includes proof of a negative COVID-19 test result, information on the vaccination status (including official proof of completed vaccination in case fully vaccinated) and the purchase of the mandatory COVID-19 insurance in case required. Children must have the online health form filled out by their parents. Provide a working personal email address on which you are reachable.
8. All incoming passengers are subjected to temperature checks and other screening protocols and may be subjected to mandatory testing at their own expense. Failure to comply with the screening at the Health Check Point upon arrival will result in you not being cleared to enter St. Maarten and sent back to your originating country. If re-tested upon arrival you will be required to self-isolate or self-quarantine at your place of lodging/residence until the test results are known.
9. Applicants will receive confirmation of their accepted application. Non-completed applications will be automatically deleted within a day after the provided travel date.
10. If health authorization is pre-approved, you will receive a (printable) pre-authorization PDF via e-mail, which must be presented at check in and to the health and immigration authorities upon arrival. This PDF will also contain a QR code which will show the vaccination status and COVID test result when scanned. Keep the original rt-PCR or antigen test result and proof of vaccination always with you. Please check your spam/junk mail folder as well in case you haven’t received a response. If health authorization is not pre-approved, you will receive an e-mail informing you that health pre-authorization has been denied.
11. Adherence to all other safety and hygiene protocols like social distancing, mandatory face mask wearing and hand sanitizing is required.

COVID-19 TEST REQUIREMENTS

Travelingto Sint Maarten from:	EHAS applicationrequired	Fully vaccinated plusbooster shot >14 days	Fully vaccinated5 yrs. and older	Children0 to 5 yrs.	Non fully vaccinated5 yrs. and older
Any Country	yes	no test required	rt-PCR test within 48 hrs. or Ag test within 24 hrs. before departure	no test required	rt-PCR test within 48 hrs. before departure

• rt-PCR and antigen test sample for the SARS-COV-2 virus must be obtained from naso-pharyngeal swab in adolescents and adults. An oro-pharygeal swab is accepted in case of children.
• Results from home covid-19 collection test kits will also not be accepted. Airlines might require you to show a negative lab test result.
• The original test resultto be uploaded as part of EHAS application procedure must clearly specify the name of the laboratory or clinic, full name of test subject, type of test administered, name of antigen test, sample date, source of the swab, result date and a negative result. Non-compliant test results, hand written or e-mail statements from doctors will not be accepted.
• Applicants with a recent COVID-19 infection and still a positive COVID-19 test will only be granted entry with a pos rt-PCR test result when the Ct value is above 35. The Ct value must be clearly indicated on the test result.

AIRLINE, PRIVATE FLIGHT AND AIR AMBULANCE CREW

1. All airline, private flight and air ambulance crew must be able to demonstrate proof of full vaccination or in case not fully vaccinated, a valid negative COVID-19 test result according to the risk category of the country of departure.
2. Crew members with stopovers of more than one(1) night must submit an application through EHAS. The same travel requirements as for passengers apply in these cases.

CRUISE SHIP PASSENGERS ARRIVING BY AIR AND DEPARTING BY CRUISESHIP FROM SINT MAARTEN 

1. All passengers must complete the application procedure through EHAS before departing to Sint Maarten.
2. Within 48 hours, before disembarking again in Sint Maarten at the end of the cruise, all passengers older 5 years and older must have an antigen test performed by the cruise line.
3. Applying through EHAS is not necessary when returning to Sint Maarten at the end of the cruise.
4. The purchase of COVID-19 insurance (see below) is mandatory when staying more than one (1) day in Sint Maarten either before or after the cruise. The insurance is only valid during the days of stay in Sint Maarten between the arrival date and return date to the country of origin.

SELF MONITORING

1. For all travelers 5 consecutive days of self-monitoring of body temperature and possible flu like symptoms is mandatory. The travelers will receive an automated daily email alert providing a link for submitting the required information online the first 5 days of their stay. If you are remaining for a shorter term on the island, you will have to submit the information for the time you are on the island. Temperature measuring possibilities will also be offered in the lobby in most hotels and other lodging facilities.

OUTBOUND TRAVELERS

1. For information on testing locations please visit https://stmaartenupdates.com/testing-on-island/  Thank you for choosing St. Maarten as your preferred vacation destination.

Fill in the application

COUNTRY RISK ASSESSMENT

A risk assessment of countries is necessary. This will classify a country in either a low, high or very high-risk category for transmission of COVID-19. This categorization of countries is very dynamic and may change in time. Categorization is managed by the Ministry of Public Health, Social Services and Labor of Sint Maarten.

Risk classification COVID-19

All countries are categorized as very high risk until further notice.

Operational Hours to be Extended to 1:00 AM as of Friday night, February 11th 2022

The Minister of Tourism, Economic Affairs, Transport & Telecommunications (Minister of TEATT) Hon. Roger Lawrence extends business opening hours until 1:00am as of Friday night, February 11th.

After careful monitoring of COVID-19 data, it has been observed that the COVID-19 cases have declined by 68% for the past two weeks which is significant.

Ministry TEATT is also carefully monitoring current global trends which also show that countries worldwide are considering or have initiated preparations to transition from the pandemic to endemic phase.

The aforementioned gives us hope and the necessary momentum as the ministry is gauging its plan of approach for the evident return to normalcy.

Minister Lawrence would like to inform the public that the Economic Outlook for 2022 continues to remain positive.

As forecasted in the beginning of the year, Gross Domestic Product (GDP) is expected to expand by 14%. “We are on the right track and need to continue to remain vigilant as we push toward full economic recovery,” Minister of TEATT Hon. Roger Lawrence said on Thursday.

About stmaartennews.org

** Minister Ottley: business hours extension forthcoming **

On Wednesday February 9th, during the live Council of Ministers press briefing, the Minister of Public Health, Social Development and Labor, Omar Ottley announced that if the hospitalization and active numbers continue in its current trajectory, business hours will be extended to 1 am as soon as Friday February 11th.

The Minister then stated that while we have always been at the fore front of the COVID-19 realities, we now see the rest of the world speaking of the endemic nature of the virus and they are slowly lifting their COVID-19 protocols.

Minister Ottley announced that St. Maarten is busy with their normalcy strategy and it will be scheduled to role out as soon as May 2022. “We have to come to the reality that COVID-19 is something that will be around for a very long time”. said Ottley.

The Minister notified the press that if hospitalizations remain on the downside for the rest of the week, business hours will be extended to 1 am with phase 2 (11pm) being eliminated. We are on a forward trajectory towards normalcy and cannot keep going backwards.

About St Maarten website. From archival and historical documents, to the latest breaking videos, and government health updates, this is, the only place you need to visit.

We welcome your input and critique. We also welcome knowledgeable guest writers, reliable sources and tips and corrections.

The St Maarten News Network was created in the suburbs of St Louis, Missouri in 2007. In late 2008, the base was moved to Southern Illinois. Then in early 2009 it finally set up a satellite in St Maarten.

As one of the few digital media marketers at the time, it was almost impossible. But everything is possible with the right determination.

The reason that this site was created is because there needs to be one Non Profit news source, not dependent on Government sponsorship or corporate sponsors.

ALL contributions and support of this site comes from private individuals, around the world who believe in our uncensored, not for profit, news, info and archive sites.

St Maarten needs an information platform that is not beholden to corporate sponsors or government censorship.

The official launch date of stmaartennews.org is August 1st 2021 UPDATE; LAUNCH DELAYED UNTIL SEPTEMBER FIRST DUE TO NEW RISE IN COVID

ABOUT

ABOUT STMAARTENNEWS.ORG

About Currently there are close to 500 sites, blogs, pages and groups in the Network.

HOW TO CONTACT US AS WE GROW:

[email protected]

[email protected]

PHONE/WHATSAPP/TELEGRAM 721 527 0050

This site is not just another blog from the Network such as

https://www.sxmgovernment.com or

ABOUT JUDITH ROUMOU ST MAARTEN BLOGGERS NETWORK, THE CARIBBEAN ONLINE NETWORK

http://www.sxmpolitico.wordpress.com

http://www.stmaartennews.wordpress.com

http://www.stmaartencarnival.wordpress.com

http://www.stmaartencarnival.blogspot.com

http://sxmrestaurants.blogspot.com/

http://stmaartentheamericandream.blogspot.com/

http://antifakefeminist.blogspot.com/

http://dreamreadingsynchronicitysupernatural.blogspot.com/

http://brownrecluseblackwidow.blogspot.com/

http://newsparticipation.com/

ABOUT THE BUZZ: STMAARTENNEWS ON BUZZFEED: http://www.buzzfeed.com/stmaartennews

STMAARTENNEWSONLINE ON NEWSVINE1: http://stmaartennewsonline.newsvine.com/

STMAARTENNEWS.COM ON TWITTER:    http://twitter.com/#!/stmaartennews

SXMONLINE ON TWITTER: http://twitter.com/sxmonline

JUDITH ROUMOU ON TWITTER: http://twitter.com/judithroumou

NOKTURNA9 ON TWITTER: http://twitter.com/nokturna9

STMAARTENNEW ON DIGG: http://digg.com/STMAARTENONLINE

STMAARTENNEWS ON BREAK: http://www.break.com/user/stmaartennewsonline

STMAARTENNEWS ON MULTIPLY: http://stmaartennews.multiply.com/profile

ST MAARTEN NEWS ON DAILY MOTION:http://www.dailymotion.com/STMAARTENNEWS#videoId=xhkqrn

ST MAARTEN NEWS BLOG10:  http://stmaartennews.blogspot.com/

ST MAARTEN NEWS BLOG 14:  http://sxmpolitico.wordpress.com/

NOKTURNA9SXM BLOG1:  http://brownrecluseblackwidow.blogspot.com/2011

LINKEDIN1 STMAARTENNEWS: http://www.linkedin.com/pub/st-maarten-news/30/b32/96b

LINKEDIN2 JUDITH ROUMOU: http://www.linkedin.com/pub/judith-roumou/30/b63/76

LINKEDIN3: NOKTURNA9: http://www.linkedin.com/in/nokturna9

SXM THE AMERICAN DREAM BLOG5: http://stmaartentheamericandream.blogspot.com/

SXM ONLINE (R)EVOLUTION BLOG7: http://adloftsxm.livejournal.com/

STMAARTENONLINE MYSPACE: http://www.myspace.com/526761554

NOKTURNA NINE ON MYSPACE: http://www.myspace.com/nokturnanine

NOKTURNA9 ON MYSPACE: http://www.myspace.com/nokturna9

STMAARTENNEWS ON HYVES: http://stmaartennews.hyves.nl/blog/

ST MAARTEN NEWSVINE: http://stmaartennews.newsvine.com/

YOUTUBE1 SXM: ADLOFTM: http://www.youtub.com/user/ADLOFTM?feature=mhum

YOUTUBE2 ST LOUIS:http://www.youtube.com/user/antifakefeminist?feature=mhum

ATOM:http://community.atom.com/profile/00356400202405603000102405603

ABOUT OUR YOUTUBE3 ST LOUIS: http://www.youtube.com/user/antifakefeminist?feature=mhum

YOUTUBE4 ST MAARTEN:http://www.youtube.com/user/TheHELENPARADISE?feature=mhum

YOUTUBE5: http://www.youtube.com/user/deeva5?feature=mhum

YOUTUBE6: http://www.youtube.com/user/SXMISNICE

YOUTUBE7:

YOUTUBE8: STMAARTENNEWS:http://www.youtube.com/user/STMAARTENNEWS?feature=mhum

MOTHERLODE 1: DELICIOUS SXM: http://www.delicious.com/stmaartennewsonline

DAILY MOTION, STMAARTENNEWS: http://www.dailymotion.com/contacts/STMAARTENNEWS

ST MAARTEN NEWS BUZZFEED1: http://www.buzzfeed.com/stmaartennews

SXM ON BUZZFEED1:http://www.buzzfeed.com/stmaartennews

ST MAARTEN NEWS USTREAM: http://www.ustream.tv/user/STMAARTENNEWS

BLACKPLANET1:http://www.blackplanet.com/sintmaartenonline/

MEFEEDIA: http://www.mefeedia.com/STMAARTENNEWSONLINE

MEFEEDIA: http://www.mefeedia.com/feeds/73556/nokturna9

TAGGED1: http://www.tagged.com/stmaartennewsonline

TAGGED2: http://www.tagged.com/nokturna9

TAGGED:http://www.tagged.com/vixia9

ABOUT ST MAARTEN NEWS ON DIGG:http://digg.com/stmaartennews

THE WICKED LICKS FILES: http://www.wickedlicks.wordpress.com

ST MAARTEN UNDERGROUND: http://adloftm.wordpress.com/

CONTACT: http://cid-44f6eeeb623487ae.profile.live.com/

[email protected]   /     [email protected]

ST MAARTEN NEWS. VIMEO: http://vimeo.com/user5621590

STMAARTENNEWS BLACKPLANET2:http://www.blackplanet.com/STMAARTENNEWS/

ST MAARTEN NEWS DOT COM, SXM’S LARGEST ONLINE NEWS ORG:http://apps.facebook.com/blognetworks/blog/st_maarten_news_dot_com/

ST MAARTEN POLITICS (1600 SCRIBERS):http://www.facebook.com/pages/ST-MAARTEN-POLITICS/179493092037

I LOVE ST MAARTEN! ALMOST 8000 SCRIBERS :http://www.facebook.com/?ref=home#!/pages/I-LOVE-ST-MAARTEN/300334288722

THE OFFICIAL ST MAARTEN ON FACEBOOK:http://www.facebook.com/update_security_info.php?wizard=1#!/pages/ST-MAARTEN/184263343265

ST MAARTEN ON BLOGTV: http://www.blogtv.com/People/STMAARTENNEWS

SXMONLINE: http://www.sxmonline.wordpress.com

PUFFINGTONS HOST: http://www.puffingtonshost.wordpress.com

ST MAARTEN/ SAINT MARTIN ON HI-5: http://www.hi5.com/friend/profile/displayProfile.do?userid=442787945

ST MAARTEN BUSINESS NETWORK (1026 SCRIBERS):http://www.facebook.com/pages/ST-MAARTEN-POLITICS/179493092037#!/pages/ST-MAARTEN-BUSINESS-NETWORK/175498539105

ST MAARTEN (SXM) BLOGGERS NETWORK (660 SCRIBERS):http://www.facebook.com/pages/ST-MAARTEN-POLITICS/179493092037#!/pages/ST-MAARTEN-SXM-BLOGGERS-NETWORK/196688351470

THE PIGMAN COMETH http://interstellarpig.livejournal.com/

ABOUT IT’S HELEN PARADISE! :http://stmaartennews.blogspot.com/

STUMBLEUPON ST MAARTEN NEWS: http://www.stumbleupon.com/stumbler/STMAARTENNEWS/

SXM ONLINE (R)EVOLUTION: http://stmaartennews.livejournal.com/5336.html

DEMOCRATICMINDSSXM : http://www.youtube.com/user/democraticmindsSXM

WORLD NEWS: http://wn.com/stmaartennews

WORLDNEWS: http://wn.com/ADLOFTM

WORDPRESS ADLOFT:http://adloftm.wordpress.com/2009/12/01/st-maartens-tarnished-image-abroad/

STMAARTEN ON MYSPACE: http://www.myspace.com/526761554

STMAARTENNEWS ON BUZZ: http://www.google.com/profiles/101048077881399839127

ST STMAARTENNEWS VIDEO ON VODPOD:http://vodpod.com/stmaartennews

The Latest Daily St Maarten Covid 19 Stats and Travel Information updated hourly.

ABOUT THE TRAVEL REQUIREMENTS (July 18, 2021)
GENERAL INFORMATION

Due to the COVID-19 epidemic Sint Maarten has established a mandatory health pre-authorization application through an Electronic Health Authorization System (EHAS) for every visitor arriving by air including transits, Sint Maarten and Saint Martin residents.

Without the health pre-authorization boarding will not be possible. Be advised that processing time can take up to 12 hours. Visitors arriving on a maritime vessel please read the latest requirements here.
The requirements vary depending on the country risk status which can be found at the bottom of this page.
People are considered fully vaccinated with an approved vaccine :

2 weeks after their second dose in a 2-dose series, such as the Pfizer or Moderna vaccines, or
2 weeks after a single-dose vaccine, such as Johnson & Johnson/Janssen vaccine
the approved vaccines are: Comirnaty (Pfizer), Spikevax (Moderna), Vaxzevria (Astrazeneca) and Johnson & Johnson/Janssen

The government of Sint Maarten has implemented a mandatory COVID-19 insurance for all travelers with destination Sint Maarten with the exception of Sint Maarten residents, transit passengers departing the same day (checkbox), flight crews (checkbox), transiting cruise ship crews (checkbox), French nationals residing in France or a French territory, BES-ZVK insured (checkbox) and AUC faculty and students (special procedure).

The insurance purchasing process is an integrated step in the EHAS application. Travelers requiring the COVID-19 insurance must complete this process upon application. For more information on and all questions related to the COVID-19 insurance please visit www.sxmprotectionplan.com or contact customer support at [email protected]

The application must be completed in order to be processed. This includes proof of a negative COVID-19 test result, information on the vaccination status (including proof of completed vaccination in case fully vaccinated) and the purchase of the mandatory COVID-19 insurance in case required. Children must have the online health form filled out by their parents. Provide a working personal email address on which you are reachable.

ABOUT VACCINATIONS

As of January 27, 2021, until further notice, a travel ban is in place for persons who have been the 14 days before departing to Sint Maarten in a banned country as mentioned in the “banned countries” table below. Sint Maarten/Saint Martin/Saba/St. Eustatius residents are exempted from the travel ban and should get a rt-PCR test before departure (see below). The EHAS application must be completed.

All incoming passengers are subjected to temperature checks and other screening protocols and may be subjected to mandatory testing at their own expense. Failure to comply with the screening at the Health Check Point upon arrival will result in you not being cleared to enter St. Maarten and sent back to your originating country. If re-tested upon arrival you will be required to self-isolate or self-quarantine at your place of lodging/residence until the test results are known.

Applicants will receive confirmation of their accepted application. Non-completed applications will be automatically deleted within a day after the provided travel date.

If health authorization is pre-approved, you will receive a (printable) pre-authorization PDF via e-mail, which must be presented at check in and to the health and immigration authorities upon arrival. This PDF will also contain a QR code which will show the vaccination status and COVID test result when scanned. Keep the original rt-PCR or antigen test result and proof of vaccination always with you. Please check your spam/junk mail folder as well in case you haven’t received a response. If health authorization is not pre-approved, you will receive an e-mail informing you that health pre-authorization has been denied.

As Saba has their own EHAS operational, same day transit travelers to Saba no longer need to apply in the Sint Maarten EHAS system, but only the Saba EHAS system which can be found at http://www.sabatourism.com/travel-requirements. Proof of the Saba EHAS approval must be demonstrated when transiting through Princess Juliana Airport Sint Maarten.
ABOUT COVID-19 TEST REQUIREMENTS

RESIDENTS FROM SINT MAARTEN, SINT MARTIN, SABA AND ST. EUSTATIUS WHO ARE FULLY VACCINATED FOR TWO WEEKS OR MORE, CAN ENTER SINT MAARTEN WITHOUT TESTING WHEN ORIGINATING FROM A HIGH-RISK COUNTRY. HOWEVER, WHEN ORIGINATING FROM A BANNED COUNTRY A rt-PCR TEST WITHIN 72 HOURS BEFORE DEPARTURE MUST BE PERFORMED IN ADDITION TO BEING FULLY VACCINATED FOR 2 WEEKS OR MORE

A rt-PCR test for the SARS-COV-2 virus obtained from a naso-pharyngeal swab performed in the country of origin and within 72 hours prior to departure to Sint Maarten (last leg in case of connecting flights) is required for all travelers originating from a country that is categorized as high risk. Antibody tests and tests performed outside of the 72 hours period will not be accepted. Results from home covid-19 collection test kits will also not be accepted. Airlines might require you to show a negative lab test result.

Alternatively, travelers originating from the USA and Canada can also do an antigen test for the SARS-COV-2 virus obtained from a naso-pharyngeal swab performed within 48 hours prior to departure to Sint Maarten. All FDA approved antigen tests using a nasopharyngeal sample including those with Emergency Use Authorization only (EUA) are accepted. Tests performed outside of the 48 hours period and home tests will not be accepted.

ABOUT Travelers residing in and/or traveling from a low-risk country are exempted from the mandatory rt-PCR or antigen test.
Travelers who reside in a low-risk country but have visited a high-risk country in the 14 days prior to departing to Sint Maarten, must also have a rt-PCR test for the SARS-COV-2 virus performed in the country of origin within 72 respectively 48 hours prior to departure to Sint Maarten (last leg in case of connecting flights).

The original test result to be uploaded as part of EHAS application procedure must clearly specify the name of the laboratory or clinic, full name of test subject, type of test administered, name of antigen test, swab date, source of the swab, result date and a negative result. Non-compliant test results, hand written or e-mail statements from doctors will not be accepted.

ABOUT VACCINE REQUIREMENTS FOR KIDS: Children of age 10 and under are exempted from the mandatory rt-PCR or antigen test. As of the day after the 10th birthday, a rt-PCR or antigen test has to be submitted.
Airline and private flight crews with stopovers in St. Maarten or St. Martin must demonstrate a valid negative rt-PCR or antigen test upon arrival.

Crew members not in possession of a valid negative rt-PCR or antigen test must self-quarantine until their departure flight.
CRUISE SHIP PASSENGERS ARRIVING BY AIR AND DEPARTING FROM SINT MAARTEN

All passengers must complete the application procedure through EHAS before departing to Sint Maarten.
Within 48 hours, before disembarking again in Sint Maarten at the end of the cruise, all passengers older than 10 years must have an antigen test performed by the cruise line.
Applying through EHAS is not necessary when returning to Sint Maarten at the end of the cruise.
The purchase of COVID-19 insurance (see below) is mandatory when staying more than one (1) day in Sint Maarten either before or after the cruise. The insurance is only valid during the days of stay in Sint Maarten between the arrival date and return date to the country of origin.
SELF MONITORING

ABOUT TRAVEL TO ST MAARTEN DURING CORONA VIRUS For travelers originating from a high-risk country, 5 consecutive days of self-monitoring of body temperature and possible flu like symptoms is mandatory. The travelers in this category will receive an automated daily email alert providing a link for submitting the required information online the first 5 days of their stay.

If you are remaining for a shorter term on the island, you will have to submit the information for the time you are on the island. Temperature measuring possibilities will also be offered in the lobby in most hotels and other lodging facilities.
OUTBOUND TRAVELERS

For information on testing locations please visit https://stmaartenupdates.com/testing-on-island/ Thank you for choosing St. Maarten as your preferred vacation destination.

About Hurricane Season

Construction firms, Builders and Trenching Contractors must be Prepared & have Storm-Ready Plans **The Ministry of General Affairs Fire Department/Office of Disaster Management (ODM), is appealing to the building sector, to have storm-ready plans in place for the 2021 Atlantic hurricane season.Construction activities, trenching and excavation works, are taking place throughout the country, and at building and construction sites, materials and debris laying around could pose a threat in the event of a storm/hurricane threat to the nation.

It has already been forecast that the 2021 Atlantic hurricane season will be a busy one. So far, five named storms have already formed for the season.Contractors and builders must have a plan in place to secure building sites before a storm/hurricane strike. This is also applicable to trenching and excavation contractors, and ODM calls on the sector to review their plans today on how they would secure their building and excavation sites in the event of a storm/hurricane threat. https://www.stmaartennews.org

Building sites must be storm-ready within a 48-hour period before the arrival of a storm/hurricane. Contractors, trench/excavation works and home builders during severe weather are responsible for securing building sites for the protection of the public, and property. Materials such as plywood, shingles, zinc, and other construction materials could become flying missiles capable of impaling zinc roofs, windows, or anything in its way. Construction debris can cause severe damage to property and lead to possible loss of life.

ALL ABOUT PREPARATION

Every construction site supervisor and/or foreman is advised to review their annual hurricane season plan with respect to what action they will be taking at their building site whether it’s a small, medium or large house, or commercial enterprise project.

As a rule, all building and trench work sites should be kept organized and clean. Arrange timely pick up of trash (discarded old zinc, wood etc.) dumpsters, and only keep materials on site you will utilize during any given week especially bearing in mind that we are in the hurricane season and keep construction equipment secure. All businesses should also see to it that their premises are kept clean of any debris as part of a preventative approach.Any planned supply deliveries should be postponed if there is a storm/hurricane threat to the island within a 48-hour period.

When a tropical storm or hurricane watch is issued 48-hours before a system is forecast to hit, remove all scaffolding, and remove, or safely secure, all building materials and equipment. Sub-contractors should also be alerted to their responsibilities as well with respect to securing or removing their materials and equipment.

https://www.sxmgovernment.com SXM GOVERNMENT ARCHIVES

Stop job processes that will likely become damaged by the storm/hurricane, such as window installations, house wrap, or landscaping. Complete those tasks that will likely prevent damage, such as concrete work, closing in a house, or filling in foundation excavations. Follow through with a quick inspection of your building site once a tropical storm/hurricane watch has been issued for the country. Do not wait until the last minute to inspect your job site, as you will need that time to go home and secure your own family dwelling. Employees will also need time to do the same to make their final storm/hurricane ready preparations.

Once the storm/hurricane is over and the All Clear has been given by the Emergency Operations Center (EOC) headed by the Prime Minister of Sint Maarten, you may return to the building site for damage assessment and inspection. For general information about preparing prior to a storm/hurricane strike, visit the Government website: www.sintmaartengov.org/hurricane where you will be able to download your “Hurricane Season Readiness Guide’ and “Hurricane Tracking Chart.”Listen to the Government Radio station – 107.9FM – for official information and news before, during and after a hurricane. For official weather-related information, check out the website of the Meteorological Department of St. Maarten (MDS): www.meteosxm.com or visit their social media page Facebook.com/sxmweather/

About St Maarten Local Sports and Activities

ABOUT LOCAL EVENTS Kick off of the Real Madrid Foundation football clinic **The St. Maarten Tourism Bureau is pleased to announce the successful kick off on Monday July 26, where the organization FUNDACION REAL MADRID CLINICS DUTCH ANTILLES, together with the REAL MADRID FOUNDATION and our Local Partner Flames United FC, started the Real Madrid Foundation football clinic for boys and girls (6 until 13 years) which will run until Friday 30 of July, 2021 on the friendly island of Sint Maarten.

The goal of the organization in conjunction with the Sponsors is to motivate the practice of football on the island as well as to encourage the values ​​inherent in the sport, to give them the opportunity to train as their idols do and contribute to their personal development. In addition, a great opportunity to grow the sport tourism sector of Sint Maarten.

The collaboration of the St. Maarten Tourism Bureau, Adidas and the main sponsor Coca Cola (CC1 Sint Maarten) provided the opportunities to some 65 kids to participate in the Clinic.

St. Maarten Tourism decided to support the clinic as this brings the tourism sector some benefits to the destinations that host the event. Economic boosts, both direct and indirect, are among these advantages. Destination exposure and awareness, direct spending by sports tourists at host facilities, hotels, restaurants, and entertainment venues stimulates the local economy. “Real Madrid is one of the top ranking football clubs in the world in performance and has the most social media followers 252.1 million, therefore we saw this as a real great opportunity to collaborate with the organization to expose the Destination in sector that spends on their favorite football team and support their events,” says May-Ling Chun Director of Tourism.

“I’m extremely pleased to welcome the Real Madrid Foundation to Sint Maarten. This is a wonderful initiative and one that the island should wholeheartedly support. Part of our socio-economic recovery plan includes fostering events like this which not only benefit our local economy, but, perhaps even more importantly, help develop our young people to become better in all aspects of their lives by instilling in them life-long positive values, such as teamwork, discipline, and fair play,” Minister of Tourism, Economic Affairs, Traffic, and Telecommunication (TEATT) Ludmila de Weever said. “And the fact that they get to learn these things by meeting world famous football icons from Real Madrid only makes it more special.”

“I congratulate local football club Flames United FC for this great initiative and for making it open to all of our local children. We hope to see more of these. Once again, I welcome the Real Madrid Foundation to Sint Maarten and I wish everyone a happy and fun time while learning footballing skills from some of the world’s best,” Minister of TEATT De Weever concluded. The clinics will be held from 16:30 – 20:20, these will be dictated by coaches from the Real Madrid academy with the collaboration of local coaches.

The training plan is made under the methodology and philosophy of Real Madrid Academy, adapted to the level and needs of the participants.The clinics will take place at Raoul Illidge Sport Complex in Phillipsburg.

One player and one Coach will be selected to travel to Madrid and be part of the Team who will represent Sint Maarten in the First Edition of the World Challenge Tournament to be held in the Real Madrid Sport City of Valdebebas, visit the club museum, visit the Santiago Bernabeu and witness a league match.

ABOUT COVERING DUTCH AND FRENCH ST MAARTEN