PHILIPSBURG - Sint Maarten will allow so-called antigen tests from 25 November. From that date, travelers to Sint Maarten must complete a mandatory health statement and upload their negative PCR result within five days, or their negative antigen result within 48 hours, prior to departure. That way, they can enter the country without being obliged to quarantine. The antigen test is a test that detects the presence of certain virus proteins from the coronavirus in nose and throat mucus. The test gives a result after 15 minutes.
Sint Maarten is the first country within the Kingdom to allow these tests. Ministers Ludmila de Weever of Tourism and Economic Affairs and Richard Panneflek of Public Health have presented plans for the use of the antigen tests. Among other things, they refer to Air France, which allows antigen testing on flights between Paris and Guadeloupe. At the moment, Sint Maarten is still a "code orange" destination for Dutch tourists.