Aipotu
SBH Insider
With the same mix of sadness and gratitude that grips us all upon leaving the island, we wrapped up an 11-night visit to St. Barths yesterday and are now back in Connecticut after our seventh stay overall.
I want to thank so many people on this Forum who shared testing information prior to our trip. There is so much confusing and competing information out there, and it is ever-changing, so it is hard to find ground truth. The threads here come the closest.
For those of you sitting on the fence about visiting, we can highly recommend that you move forward with your plans. I can honestly state that the amount of angst and worry we experienced before the trip were largely unwarranted:
· The biggest hurdle, of course, remains the 72-hour test requirement for entry. That actually proved simple – we used Covid Consultants, and they were fantastic to work with. We self-administered tests on Tuesday evening and had results back late Wednesday night. You may have local options, but from my research, few places yet can guarantee results in three days.
· YOU DO NOT NEED TO GET TESTED AFTER 7 DAYS ON THE ISLAND. As other threads have noted, that apparently was only a recommendation. (That said, even WIMCO was not aware of the shift/slide.). Based on what we heard and read, there is simply no way for the island to meet the demand that the rule would require for enforcement, especially now.
· You do not need a test to transit back through SXM, though you do need to fill out a health self-assessment form.
· THIS WAS VERY CONFUSING – but you DO NOT need to get a test to fly back into JFK. If you are a New York resident looking to shorten your quarantine upon return, you are required to get tested 72-hour before – but again ONLY for NYS residents looking to shorten quarantine. You will have to fill out a simple on-line health assessment – and even that has an in-person option upon arrival at JFK.
· Because the CDC classifies St. Barths as a level 2 country, no self-quarantine is required upon return to Connecticut, where we live.
Now, to be fair, this covers only the legal aspects of the experience. We all need to make personal decisions on how we act before, during and after our stays. We’re going to stay home through the weekend and then get tested on Monday just to be certain. That said, St. Barths is much safer – for now – than our home state.
That brings me to one other set of observations. I think in reality St. Barths is taking the pandemic seriously, and generally has been very good about enforcement of masks in public spaces, limiting the number of people in stores, etc. I’ve seen some here suggest that the Americans let the masks slip, though our experience was that the continental French visitors were more likely to pull the mask down, at least below the nose. (Not looking to cause an international incident – just an observation!)
That said, we found the tables in restaurants a tad too close to one another – and on this past Sunday afternoon, in particular, it looked like Nikki Beach was hosting a superspreader event. I don’t ever use the word “aghast” in conversation, but we were aghast by what we saw there – hundreds of people, tons of booze and masks on no one but the servers. We turned away immediately. I fear what gatherings like that suggest for the high season coming up. Our advice: if you’re craving their menu, go on a Tuesday.
All-in-all, it’s fairly easy to be/feel protected, especially if you like hanging at your villa or on most of the beaches – their solitude has always been a huge asset, and never more than now.
We had a great time, the island is beautiful and green, the water warm and largely sargassum-free, Fouquets is a fantastic addition to the restaurant scene, and everything you love about the island is still there. Now, just get rid of the transportable traffic lights, and it would be just about perfect! ;-)
Now to start planning our next visit...
I want to thank so many people on this Forum who shared testing information prior to our trip. There is so much confusing and competing information out there, and it is ever-changing, so it is hard to find ground truth. The threads here come the closest.
For those of you sitting on the fence about visiting, we can highly recommend that you move forward with your plans. I can honestly state that the amount of angst and worry we experienced before the trip were largely unwarranted:
· The biggest hurdle, of course, remains the 72-hour test requirement for entry. That actually proved simple – we used Covid Consultants, and they were fantastic to work with. We self-administered tests on Tuesday evening and had results back late Wednesday night. You may have local options, but from my research, few places yet can guarantee results in three days.
· YOU DO NOT NEED TO GET TESTED AFTER 7 DAYS ON THE ISLAND. As other threads have noted, that apparently was only a recommendation. (That said, even WIMCO was not aware of the shift/slide.). Based on what we heard and read, there is simply no way for the island to meet the demand that the rule would require for enforcement, especially now.
· You do not need a test to transit back through SXM, though you do need to fill out a health self-assessment form.
· THIS WAS VERY CONFUSING – but you DO NOT need to get a test to fly back into JFK. If you are a New York resident looking to shorten your quarantine upon return, you are required to get tested 72-hour before – but again ONLY for NYS residents looking to shorten quarantine. You will have to fill out a simple on-line health assessment – and even that has an in-person option upon arrival at JFK.
· Because the CDC classifies St. Barths as a level 2 country, no self-quarantine is required upon return to Connecticut, where we live.
Now, to be fair, this covers only the legal aspects of the experience. We all need to make personal decisions on how we act before, during and after our stays. We’re going to stay home through the weekend and then get tested on Monday just to be certain. That said, St. Barths is much safer – for now – than our home state.
That brings me to one other set of observations. I think in reality St. Barths is taking the pandemic seriously, and generally has been very good about enforcement of masks in public spaces, limiting the number of people in stores, etc. I’ve seen some here suggest that the Americans let the masks slip, though our experience was that the continental French visitors were more likely to pull the mask down, at least below the nose. (Not looking to cause an international incident – just an observation!)
That said, we found the tables in restaurants a tad too close to one another – and on this past Sunday afternoon, in particular, it looked like Nikki Beach was hosting a superspreader event. I don’t ever use the word “aghast” in conversation, but we were aghast by what we saw there – hundreds of people, tons of booze and masks on no one but the servers. We turned away immediately. I fear what gatherings like that suggest for the high season coming up. Our advice: if you’re craving their menu, go on a Tuesday.
All-in-all, it’s fairly easy to be/feel protected, especially if you like hanging at your villa or on most of the beaches – their solitude has always been a huge asset, and never more than now.
We had a great time, the island is beautiful and green, the water warm and largely sargassum-free, Fouquets is a fantastic addition to the restaurant scene, and everything you love about the island is still there. Now, just get rid of the transportable traffic lights, and it would be just about perfect! ;-)
Now to start planning our next visit...
