An Update on COVID-19 in St Maarten

Our community of Travelers who love St Maarten and first-time visitors alike are constantly seeking news about how the COVID-19 virus is impacting travel to St Maarten and life on the island. What follows is some of the latest news and information on St Maarten travel restrictions and government actions.

Flights to St Maarten’s SXM Airport

On March 17, St Maarten restricted all inbound commercial flights from the US and Europe beginning March 23 through at least April 15. This restriction on commercial traffic is expected to be extended through at least the end of May. The only flight activity that has been taking place at the airport is to facilitate cargo traffic, repatriation and emergency medical flights.

Flights to French St Martin’s Grand Case Airport

On April 13, President Macron of France announced that the closure of the borders as well as the limit on movement would be extended through May 11. This also applies to St Martin as an overseas Collectivité of France. This includes all access to the island by air or sea to all non-residents.

When can we expect St Maarten to reopen?

The answer largely depends on recovery efforts and how well the island is able to manage and fight the virus. On April 13, the Prime Minister of St Maarten during her daily press briefing announced that it is her vision to reopen St Maarten in June. This gives the island between now and the end of May to reach its peak and flatten the curve. According to the Prime Minister, there is an ongoing effort to increase community testing to “kill COVID-19 dead in its track”, as she sees St Maarten leading the Caribbean on conquering this virus.

We are St Maarten Strong

Earlier this month at the request of the Dutch Government, a 29 member AMI Expeditionary Healthcare medical team arrived from the United States to assist St Maarten with the COVID-19 pandemic. St Maarten was also the recipient of much-needed medical equipment sent from the Netherlands by Military C 17 aircraft.

📸: Ambientdigitalservices

Along with Intensive Care beds including the medical equipment, St. Maarten received Personal Protective Equipment, COVID19 testing kits, Intensive Care Unit medicine, and COVID-19 medication to treat COVID-19 patients. The equipment also consists of a Military ICU facility which was assembled by the marines and the fire department.

Watch this short video on St Maarten Medical Center’s COVID-19 response thus far.

The French Collectivité is also working on implementing large-scale screening of the population and investing in testing equipment. The plan is to test for symptoms, but also antibodies that will determine the percentage of the population who have been affected by the virus and recovered, and those who need to go into isolation and be treated. The necessary funds for testing has been secured in collaboration with EU partners.

We need your help…

Since 2011, we have grown to be a leading online booking platform for activities, tours and experiences in St Maarten and we help our guests discover the island and make the most out of their St Maarten vacation through our social media channels.

Like many local businesses, we are now bracing the financial bearing of the global COVID-19 pandemic and we need your help. As a result, all sales have stopped and many of our local partners have suspended their advertising campaigns with us during this crisis, and we can definitely appreciate these difficult decisions.

You can help ensure that we survive in a post COVID-19 world. We are all adjusting to this new reality as best we can and know that asking for your financial support is not without a heavy heart and passion for what we do. We love St Maarten. Every dollar you are able to donate will help us offset the costs associated with operating our website and social media channels. Please click here to donate. We thank you in advance, your efforts are very much appreciated!

Continue to practice proper hygiene and care, stay at home, and be safe until we can welcome you back to our friendly island!

Best always,

Your SintMaartenVacation.com Team

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