Question concerning emergent leaving SBH

I too am excited about the opening up of SBH, although share the concern of the several restrictions that have been mentioned.
However, as one potentially coming in late July/early August, I do have a concern that has not been mentioned, unless I missed it.
What if my wife or I test positive on day 7 and want/ or need to depart to go home, as that(not St Maarten) is where I prefer to be hospitalized IF that was needed? I spoke with MedJet(which I have used for yrs) this morning and they will not fly a Covid + person and I assume the airlines would not either. Private charter may not either and would cost $$$$$ to Nashville if they did. For those of you going this summer, have you found a solution to this dilemma? Without a exit strategy, I have some real hesitation.

Chipper,
You raise another extremely valid concern. It is all about RISK vs. reward, that is the dilemma.
For me, I would be in dire straits with my business if I could not return for 14-days or more, after I tested Positive on Day 7 of my typical 8-day trips to St. Barts. I am also concerned that MedJet would not fly Anita or I back to Virginia. Do not put me on a ventilator in Guadeloupe! What would all the hospitalization and emergency flights cost? Thank you, NO!

Your questions may be answered by this post on WIMCO's blog:

https://www.wimco.com/vacation-trav...spx?target=/st-barts-covid-19-testing-center/

Oh, here's a thought....just put travel to St Barths out of your mind for a year! It'll be there when we, hopefully, have a vaccine.

This horse can't take much more beatin'!

I believe you made that recommendation previously. I think it comes down to the fact that the virus is in control until there is a vaccine or strong therapeutic and various localities are going to deal with that reality in very different ways. We can complain and see all our risks in going to this one particular locale, but it is solely their decision on how they will protect their citizens.

Wimco's information does highlight the potential problem of a villa rental direct from an owner. If the previous renter tests positive, and they are forced to remain in the villa, we would be on our own to find alternate accommodation due to the displacement.

In addition, the 72-hour timeframe for tests prior to arrival is problematic for those traveling from the west coast. Most CFAR (cancel for any reason) insurance policies require you to cancel at least 48 hours before departure. Even if the test was performed 72 hours prior, the results may or may not be available in time to meet the "go/no-go" deadline for insurance.

It pains me to say it, but we won't be back to the island anytime soon. So sad!

JEK said:

I believe you made that recommendation previously. I think it comes down to the fact that the virus is in control until there is a vaccine or strong therapeutic and various localities are going to deal with that reality in very different ways. We can complain and see all our risks in going to this one particular locale, but it is solely their decision on how they will protect their citizens.

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"...and the wheels on the bus go 'round and 'round"

-MikeR

Your mileage may vary

JEK said:

... We can complain and see all our risks in going to this one particular locale, but it is solely their decision on how they will protect their citizens.

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Will prospective tourists be willing to accept the risk of finding themselves on "a ventilator in Guadeloupe" that island residents, particularly older residents and those with underlying health conditions, will be put in a position to take as the island opens to help salvage its economy?

The degree the island's opening to tourists will lessen the economic hardships that opening is aimed to mitigate will hinge on the willingness of tourists to accept such risk and visit.

We'll see what happens...

The above concerns are understandable. Although the new entry rules now offer the option to come and visit SBH, the testing requirements still make the process more complicated than it should.

If you plan on traveling on a Monday, you need to be tested not earlier than the previous Friday. Often the labs require 24-48 hours to process the results. How will you get these results before getting on the plane?

President Macron made another statement last Sunday (June 14th) saying the following:

- The pandemic is behind us. Even if not completely gone, the risk of seeing the virus spreading is so low that life can resume normally.

- European borders reopen in full swing as of June 15th. No restrictions, no test, no quarantine, nothing. Back to normal. German, Dutch, British tourists are all heading down to the French riviera as we speak.

- International borders will reopen in full swing as of July 1st. One can assume that the restrictions will be lifted too. It's just not manageable to impose tests, quarantine, .... to the thousands of international travelers who will cross the French borders in the next 2 weeks.

Based on the above, the French Caribbean will most likely follow with what's already applicable in the mainland.

July 10th should be the next date to watch for -> official date for the end of the health emergency.

after I tested Positive on Day 7 of my typical 8-day trips to St. Barts

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This one is simple..... stay for 7 days and not 8. I usually cheat my vacations, but if you are that focused on going and willing to take the risk, either stay the extra day and roll the dice or eliminate the extra day and be able to get home and back to your business.

So do we think after July 1st we won’t need the COVID test prior to arrival, or the 7 day follow up test on the island...?

steelpe said:

This one is simple..... stay for 7 days and not 8. I usually cheat my vacations, but if you are that focused on going and willing to take the risk, either stay the extra day and roll the dice or eliminate the extra day and be able to get home and back to your business.

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Perhaps that is the answer. We usually stay 2 weeks, but compromise may be in order this year. My primary concern in all this mainly was- How to get home emergently if, in the unlikely event we got covid during the visit?

Chipper said:

Perhaps that is the answer. We usually stay 2 weeks, but compromise may be in order this year. My primary concern in all this mainly was- how to get home emergently if, in the unlikely event we got covid during the visit.

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Medjet COVID-19 policy

belinda said:

So do we think after July 1st we won’t need the COVID test prior to arrival, or the 7 day follow up test on the island...?

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July 10th is more like it.

As long as the 7 day retest rule is in effect, an interesting dilemma arises for those who would typically stay past this point - taking the personal risk of testing positive and being unable to return home vs. adjusting plans to leave before the required test and passing a risk onto others who would become your contacts...

Nearly half (44%) of transmission to others has been reported to occur during the presymptomatic period, which varies in length with a median of 4 days reported...

Originally Posted by belinda
[FONT=&quot]So do we think after July 1st we won’t need the COVID test prior to arrival, or the 7 day follow up test on the island...?[/FONT]

islander said:

July 10th is more like it.

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Is there any fact basis for the idea of the 7 day f/u test being lifted soon? Is this a real possibility or just a hope? If true, that would push me back to a 2 wk visit.

It's just hope at this point. However, this would be the logical next step as July 10th officially brings the end of the health emergency. As explained above, France has already reopened all borders within the EU without any testing/quarantine requirements, and will reopen international borders on July 1st, most likely under the same conditions (no testing/quarantine requirements). Under the Republic principles, the French Caribbean should follow.

Keep in mind that this should go "both ways". It would be good seeing the US lifting the travel ban imposed on EU countries: https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/travelers/from-other-countries.html