Latest Covid 19 Update From the Com

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Collectivité de Saint-Barthélemy Officiel

47 mins ·







The COMSTBARTH informs you:
Reminder and evolution of protocols and instructions for Covid 19
Given the evolution of the of 19 pandemic worldwide over the past few weeks, several reminders or clarifications appear to be necessary.
1) Over the past two weeks, 345 PCR tests have been carried out in Saint-Bartholomew. All negative. PCR tests allow you to know if a person carries the virus and is therefore contagious.
These tests should not be confused with serology tests that indicate if a person has been sick. A positive serological test shows that the person has had the virus. 266 serological tests have been carried out in the last two weeks.
2) It is remembered that every week, the ARS publishes a newsletter showing the number of new cases. The results of the PCR tests carried out in Saint-Bartholomew are sent daily to the ARS directly. The protocols are the same as national protocols. The Community will only be in support of ARS and Medicare if a positive case is identified.
(3) Residents of Saint-Bartholomew planning to travel off the island through Juliana or Pointe-à-Pitre airport are not subject to the requirement to submit a negative PCR test of less than 72 h. The authorities in Maarten do not require this test for people from St. Maarten. Therefore, people planning to travel in the next few days from Saint-Bartholomew to France or Europe mainly, not to make an appointment at the laboratory for a test. This will unnecessary the Drive.
4) As of July 2020, 10, all travelers to Saint-Maarten have stayed in a territory other than Guadeloupe, Martinique, Saint-Martin, Sint Maarten or a member state of the Schengen area must have a negative PCR test carried out less than three free days before departure. In the absence of this test, boarding to St. Bartholomew will be refused. It will no longer be possible to enter Saint-Bartholomew by simply committing to performing the test on arrival.
5) It is finally reminded of everyone, resident, visitor, professional, to continue to respect barriers and social alienation. This attitude remains the best possible protection.
The Community of St. Bartholomew




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1616

Does anyone have any clear insight into whether the island is enforcing a strict 72-hour time window on the age of the COVID test results, or are they taking a more relaxed approach of "3 days"? I keep seeing conflicting information from the government.

IE -- if I arrive at 3PM on a Thursday, will a test from 11AM on Monday be OK, or are we truly holding the line at 72-hours?

Adding even further confusion -- found this tonight on another St. Barts tourism website.

If I test Positive, is my 14-day confinement at a designated lodging facility in St. Jean free of charge?

dadto6 said:

If I test Positive, is my 14-day confinement at a designated lodging facility in St. Jean free of charge?

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It might be free or very reasonable, but I doubt you want to stay there, it's the dorms they built for visiting sports teams, very rudimentary! So if you come it's wise to practice social distancing while here so you don't get sick.. I noticed today that the cashiers in U Express are wearing masks again, in light of the influx of tourists, people are being more careful again.

elgreaux said:

It might be free or very reasonable, but I doubt you want to stay there, it's the dorms they built for visiting sports teams, very rudimentary! So if you come it's wise to practice social distancing while here so you don't get sick.. I noticed today that the cashiers in U Express are wearing masks again, in light of the influx of tourists, people are being more careful again.

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Elgreaux -- Since you're on the island, do you happen to have any insight into my question and how this is all being enforced in terms of 72-hours vs. 3 days, etc.? There's a lot of conflicting information starting to emerge on various tourism websites and even from the government itself. Any "on the ground" experience would be very much appreciated for planning

We have heard from a few people who arrived over the weekend that there was no enforcement yet at the airport. Hopefully, that will change, and everyone coming to the Island should be prepared to show that they tested negative within the required 72 hour period prior to arrival. It is in everyone's best interest to follow the rules as laid out by the Com.

Phil

phil62 said:

We have heard from a few people who arrived over the weekend that there was no enforcement yet at the airport. Hopefully, that will change, and everyone coming to the Island should be prepared to show that they tested negative within the required 72 hour period prior to arrival. It is in everyone's best interest to follow the rules as laid out by the Com.

Phil

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I certainly hope that changes immediately. Otherwise, the island is putting their own safety and that of responsible tourists at risk.

garykool81 said:

Elgreaux -- Since you're on the island, do you happen to have any insight into my question and how this is all being enforced in terms of 72-hours vs. 3 days, etc.? There's a lot of conflicting information starting to emerge on various tourism websites and even from the government itself. Any "on the ground" experience would be very much appreciated for planning

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I will check again tomorrow but for now the word is the test has to have been done within the 72 hours before you board the plane.

Issues regarding enforcement of the test requirement were addressed in this Le Journal article. The full article contains additional information and is posted in another thread:

(Bruno Magras "There remains one point to clarify, border control. It should be the ARS (Agence Régionale de Santé/Regional Health Agency) or the state that does it, as I understand the gendarmerie does not wish to deal with it. The question arises, to call on a service provider to take people's temperature, check their tests or send them to the laboratory."

Indeed, many arrivals, local but also tourists, have been surprised in recent days to receive no special instructions on their arrival on the island, or even to find that they did not verify their certificate of negative Covid-19 test . They brought this concern to the attention of the authorities. A priori, it is complicated for the gendarmerie to carry out customs control at the same time as health control.
...
(The) protocol is in force although there is no legislative text framing it.

July 24th around 5:45 PM this was post on Le Journal FB

this person was in contact with his family before being put in isolation in st. jean. also, I wonder if they will test the people who were on the plane with this person. the plane came from guadeloupe.

Good point, Diana. First thing PHIL said was how did he get here?

More in that from Le J

A COVID-19 IMPORTED CAS ON THE INTEREST OF THE INTEREST. A * 25/07/2020
A positive patient in Covid-19 is currently confined to the St. Jean accommodation centre. Muni of a negative PCR Covid test, he could have taken the plane from Guyana to Guadeloupe; Guyanais can come to the Antilles if they justify an imperious motive. He's been on the airport at Point-at-Pire airport, or he's on the plane to Saint-Barthelemy, or landed last Saturday. The result of his test in Guadeloupe arrived on Tuesday, positive. It was therefore isolated, and the ARS contacted any contacts in order to send them to be depressed and invited them to scrupulously respect the barrier gestures. This first case of Covid on the island since the end of March was detected on Tuesday; neither the ARS nor the prefecture nor the Collectivity did not deem it useful to inform the population before the Bruno Magras declaration on Friday night. The Com expected the weekly publication of the ARS, which is usually available on Friday, but this week the ARS, which is responsible for the communication around Covid, did not published its bulletin for the North Islands. Speaking of the North Islands, the Dutch side of Sint Maarten shows a rise in the number of cases this week: Friday morning 13 people were tested positive and two new Saturday, which brings the number of active coronavirus cases to 18 in the Dutch side of SXM. The Government of Sint-Maarten calls for each of us to be precautionary, but the traffic rules between our two islands have not changed, contrary to a rumor that has circulated over the past few days: the routes between Gustavia and Philipsburg do not require a test, nor do we have to do so, as well as those between the airports from Haenen and Juliana.