Lol, England warns Brits about Sint Maarten. Evidently St Maarten is some type of gateway to Peruvian marching powder. I was looking up the latest British restrictions Foreign travel advice St Maarten Important Coronavirus (COVID-19) travel It is illegal to travel abroad from the UK for holidays. Follow current COVID-19 rules where you live: England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.
In England, you must have a permitted reason to travel abroad and complete the declaration form.
Some countries have closed borders, and any country may further restrict travel or bring in new social distancing rules with little warning. Check our advice for each country you will visit or transit through.
When you return, follow the rules to enter the UK from abroad (except from Ireland). Update to information on entry requirements for travellers from the UK (‘Summary’ and ‘Entry Requirements’ pages), and where to find St Maarten government information on Coronavirus guidance (‘Coronavirus’ page)
The FCDO advises against all but essential travel to:
the whole of St Maarten based on the current assessment of COVID-19 risks. If you are returning to the UK from St Maarten, you will need to self-isolate on your return (unless you are exempt). Check the latest guidance for England, Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales.
Travel to St Maarten is subject to entry restrictions
The UK is currently classed as a ‘high-risk’ country as part of St Maarten’s COVID-19 restrictions. This means that anyone entering St Maarten who has been in the UK in the 14 days before their arrival will be subject to 14 days of compulsory self-monitoring. In addition, travellers must present a negative PCR test result of a test taken within 72 hours before departure. See the website of the Government of St Maarten.
Update 6:24AM Water has been restored. Public Notice: April 7, 2021 NV GEBE hereby inform the residents of South Reward that some parts of South Reward are currently experiencing “No Water” due to a broken mainline. Our team is working on restoration. Water should be restored by 7am. We apologize for the inconvenience this may cause.
Update 6:24AM Water has been restored. Public Notice: April 7, 2021 NV GEBE hereby inform the residents of South Reward that some parts of South Reward are currently experiencing “No Water” due to a broken mainline. Our team is working on restoration. Water should be restored by 7am. We apologize for the inconvenience this may cause.
WILLEMSTAD Defense is angry with its own staff that celebrated this weekend as if there was no corona. Videos of this on social media caused a lot of commotion. Inappropriately says Defense, given the serious situation Curaçao currently finds itself in. According to the military, there is no danger of contamination, because the operational units in the Caribbean live in so-called bubbles. Today the 11 th airmobile brigade from Assen will go out for the first time with the police during roadblocks to check plachi di dia and the curfew. https://curacao.nu/defensie-boos-op-eigen-militairen-vanwege-feesten/?utm_source=ReviveOldPost&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=ReviveOldPost
WILLEMSTAD Defensie is boos op eigen personeel dat dit weekend feest vierde alsof er geen corona bestond. Filmpjes daarvan op social media zorgden voor veel ophef. Ongepast zegt Defensie, gelet op de ernstige situatie waarin Curaçao zich momenteel bevindt. Gevaar voor besmetting is er volgens de militairen niet, omdat de operationele eenheden in het Caribisch gebied in zogeheten bubbels leven. Vandaag gaat de 11 e luchtmobiele brigade uit Assen voor het eers op stap met de politie tijdens wegversperringen ter controle van plachi di dia en de avondklok.
Video A 27-year-old man from Curaçao was jailed for ten years in Rotterdam yesterday for shooting two people in a car. This incident occured on September 7 last year. The driver and his girlfriend fled the car and were unharmed. The Curaçao man was arrested because there was DNA from him on one of the bullet shells. https://curacao.nu/tien-jaar-cel-voor-beschieting-auto-in-rotterdam/
Cruise ship ‘Norwegian Gem’ to start calling at St. Maarten in mid-August. Norwegian Cruise Line (NCL) will resume cruise calls to St. Maarten starting in mid-August with its ship Norwegian Gem, announced Port St. Maarten Management on Tuesday.
This is part of NCL’s resumption of cruising strategy that will feature three seven-day cruises starting from July 25, two in the Caribbean and one in the Mediterranean. For all sailings prior to October 31, Norwegian will require all guests and crew to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19.
Norwegian Gem will be homeporting out of La Romana, Dominican Republic, as of August 15. Its week-long itinerary, which includes two days at sea, will call at St. Maarten, Barbados, St. Lucia, and Antigua. The ship will operate at reduced capacity.
Port St. Maarten said in a press release on Tuesday that NCL’s decision to call at St. Maarten is a result of “strategic discussions” between the port and cruise line. “The port will also be looking for additional opportunities and will continue to actively engage with the industry,” it was stated in the release.
Originally built in 2007 for a whopping US $700 million, Norwegian Gem has a capacity of 2,394 guests and 1,070 crew. The 93,530 gross-tonne vessel has an overall length of 965 feet and a width of 125 feet.
NCL is one of three cruise lines within the Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings Ltd. portfolio, with the remaining two being Oceania Cruises and Regent Seven Seas Cruises.
“Port St. Maarten will continue to look for opportunities to grow the sector once again, which came to a complete standstill with the pandemic. We have the Royal Caribbean Group homeporting out of the country in June and now commercial cruise calls in August.
“The cruise industry has been working and refining their existing health and safety protocols for their guests and they are confident that the measures they have taken will enhance the visitor experience, offering the healthiest and safest vacation at sea.
“We would like to once again call on the population to register for the COVID-19 vaccine. It is very important that the majority of the populace is vaccinated, reaching herd immunity of at least 70 per cent. This will send a strong signal to the tourism and travel trade, including the cruise industry, that destination St. Maarten is a safe destination to visit.
“The cruise industry has its own safety ashore criteria and are working in collaboration with land-based tour operator partners to extend health and safety measures to each destination, and therefore St. Maarten as a cruise destination also has to meet those requirements, and a vaccinated population will fast-track the recovery of cruise tourism,” said Port St. Maarten.
Marines are currently lugging 1,600 kilos of equipment up a mountain on Saba for a new measuring station. This is for the Royal Netherlands Meteorological Institute (KNMI) and is intended to timely signal seismological and volcanic activity. An overview of Defense operations in the week from April 1 to April 6. 2 marines lug equipment for a new measuring station up a mountain on Saba.Show options The marines move the construction equipment on an inhospitable, uninhabited part of the Windward Island that can only be reached on foot. Defense deployed soldiers stationed on Sint Maarten at the request of the Saba authorities. Supporting civil authorities in the Caribbean is one of the constitutional tasks of the Defense organization. Outside of the work, the soldiers stay at a distance from the population to prevent contamination with COVID-19. The job must be done by April 14 and the marines will return to St. Maarten.
Vanochtend tegen 10:53 werd de Rescue & Coordination Center van de Kustwacht door de politie van Bonaire gebeld met het verzoek om assistentie te verlenen met de kustwacht patrouille helikopter bij een Search & Rescue geval. Een meisje die samen met haar ouders een wandeltocht aan het maken was, werd al een uur vermist. De helikopter was op dat moment net terug van een patrouillevlucht en heeft meteen getankt en weer opgestegen richting Bonaire. In de tussentijd had het politiecontact gekregen met het meisje via haar mobiele telefoon maar de communicatie verliep moeilijk. Het meisje gaf aan dat zij de politiewagens kon zien. Bij aankomst van de kustwacht patrouille helikopter werd deze gedirigeerd naar de vermoedelijke locatie van het meisje. De kustwacht landpatrouille die ook aan het zoeken was zag dat de helikopter het meisje had gevonden en dat zij nu aan boord van de helikopter werd gebracht. Afgezien van wat hoofdpijn en een beetje verward zijn maakte zij het goed. De helikopter bracht haar naar de Flamingo luchthaven waar een ambulance haar opwachtte en haar naar het ziekenhuis bracht.
Weer een goede samenwerking van Politie Bonaire en de Kustwacht.
** AUC Students provide information and assistance with the registration for the COVID-19 Vaccine over the Easter Weekend **
On Thursday April 1st, and Saturday April 3rd, several students from the American University of the Caribbean (AUC) volunteered their time and energy to provide information to the public about the COVID-19 vaccine and assist with the registration process.
On Thursday, the COVID-19 vaccination information and registration stands were located at Premiere Supermarket across from Colosseum Crossfit in Cay Hill, Greens Market in Cole Bay, and Carrefour Bush road. On Saturday there were two stands at Sunny Foods and again at Carrefour Bush Road.
Information about the COVID-19 vaccines was provided, along with practical information about the rollout campaign on Sint Maarten. The students also registered persons on the spot, which has led to a significant rise in vaccination registrations over the weekend.
AUC medical student Napolon Pellumbi said that: ‘’It is tremendously important to collaborate during this pandemic, and I wanted to do my part in boosting people’s confidence regarding vaccination. The friendliness expressed by the people of Sint Maarten and their willingness to participate in vaccine registration made my experience extremely enjoyable. Furthermore, I was highly impressed by the efforts of the community to follow CDC guidelines by continuously wearing masks and remaining 6 feet apart. For these reasons, I felt very comfortable at all times, and I owe it all to the appreciation shown by the people of Sint Maarten. I look forward to volunteering and continuously working with the people of Sint Maarten, to put forth better health and a better future.’’
Curacao and Aruba are currently experiencing a new Coronavirus crisis due to the more contagious UK variant. This variant of the COVID-19 virus has also been detected on Sint Maarten, and we can see active case numbers slowly rising. Considering the explosive transmission of the virus on Curacao from just a handful of cases to thousands within three weeks, the populace cannot be naive and must do everything to prevent a similar third wave hitting Sint Maarten.
The first thing is vaccination! The Pfizer vaccine has shown to be effective against the UK variant, but more people need to be vaccinated to really have an impact on national transmission. Vaccination is now open to all persons 18 years and older, who reside on Sint Maarten. Registration and the vaccine is free of charge and everyone is urged to register if you have not yet done so.
The second is testing. Persons who are experiencing symptoms or have been in contact with a known positive case are advised to call 914 or their general practitioner and to get tested for free at the Collective Prevention Services (CPS) testing location in Pointe Blanche, which is open from 8:30 to 10 AM on weekdays. Free testing is also available on the weekends, but persons will have to make an appointment by calling 914.
The third is wearing your mask, social distancing, and handwashing. Please continue to adhere to and comply with the rules, as they are the cornerstone of the Governments public health prevention campaign.
Currently, almost 12.000 persons have registered for the vaccine, which is roughly 25% of the number that is needed to create sufficient protection and prevent the spread of the virus (herd immunity) among the people of Sint Maarten.
Therefore, members of the community are reminded to register for the COVID-19 vaccine.
Registration can be done via the online registration form which is available in English, Spanish, and Creole, and can be found via this link: https://forms.sintmaartengov.org/form.aspx?v=OGtn05kNmb
Both Cole Bay and Dutch Quarter Community Helpdesks are currently equipped to provide information and can assist with registration on the spot. They are open from 8:30 AM to 12:30 PM on Monday to Friday. You must bring a form of identification when you visit the helpdesk.
Lastly, the paper-based “COVID Vaccine Registration Form” can be picked up at several locations, including CPS at the Vineyard Office Park Building, the Division of Labor Affairs at the Simpson Bay Public Service Center in Simpson Bay, doctors’ offices, the Government Administration Building, and select pharmacies.
Organizations who wish to inform their staff about the Covid-19 vaccine and vaccination program via an information session can send an email to bvdmeijden@whiteyellowcross.org
If you have a friend, parent, neighbor, or relative that may need assistance with registration, transportation, or emotional support, please do your part. If you need help with the registration process, your appointment, or wish for more information about the vaccination campaign, you can also call CPS at 914 or email: vaccination@sintmaartengov.org
Sint Maarten protected together.
PHOTO CUTLINE: Volunteers from AUC Medical school providing information and registration assistance at Carrefour Bush Road.
S.U.R investigating several robberies over the Easter weekend.
Police patrols and members of the Special Unit Robberies were kept busy over the Easter weekend investigating several armed robberies that had taken place on the island.
The police patrol was directed to a supermarket on the crossing Long wall road and Front Street on Thursday afternoon April 1st, 2021 around 4:00 pm for an armed robbery in progress. On the scene, the officers spoke to the victims and several witnesses. According to the information gathered, two young masked men armed with a handgun threatened the employee and took money from the cash register. The suspects fled the scene on foot with an undisclosed amount of money in the direction of the Great-Bay Beach. This investigation into this robbery is still ongoing.
Later that evening around 08.00 pm on April 1st 2021, the central dispatch directed several patrols to the Ebenezer area where a man had caught two boys, in the act of stealing a scooter out of his yard. When he questioned the two men young about what they were doing, one of them pulled out a machete and threatened him with the weapon. Under the threat of the machete, the suspects attempted to take away the scooter in the presence of the owner. Both suspects with the initials S.L.W and M.M.S were apprehended by the patrols who arrived at the scene. Both suspects were transported to the Phillipsburg police station where they are being held for questioning.
The Special Unit Robbery is also investigating a robbery that took place on early Tuesday morning April 6th 2021, approximately 3.00 am on the Airport road. According to the preliminary investigation, it appeared that the victim was approached by two young dressed in dark clothing on a scooter after he came out of the ATM machine on the airport road. The suspects, who were both armed with a firearm, robbed the victim at gunpoint of his money and his scooter. After robbing the victim, the suspects fled on the scooters in an unknown direction. This investigation into this robbery is also still ongoing.
Anyone with information about the armed robberies that have taken place over the last weeks should contact SUR detectives via + 1 721 542 2222 ext. 203, 204 or 205, the anonymous tip line 9300, send a private message via Facebook Page: Police Force of Sint Maarten – Korps Politie Sint Maarten or website www.policesxm.sx.
