St. Maarten has postponed all commercial flights to and from the United States for the next two weeks.
According to The Daily Herald, Tourism Minister Ludmila de Weever attributed the decision to the growing number of COVID-19 cases in the U.S. and noted that allowing flights at Princess Juliana International Airport from the U.S. would risk the island’s border with French St. Martin being closed.
The U.S. was officially excluded from the European Union’s list of approved countries for travel as the 27 member nations reopen to travel from outside of the continent on Wednesday.
St. Maarten began allowing flights from Europe and Canada on Wednesday and is also permitting flights from Caribbean destinations such as Aruba, Bonaire, Curacao, Saba, St. Eustatius, Anguilla, St. Barths, Martinique, Guadeloupe, St. Kitts and Nevis, Antigua and Barbuda, Dominica and the British Virgin Islands.
Regardless of their origin, visitors to the island must meet several strict requirements, including producing a negative COVID-19 test within 72 hours of travel, temperature screening upon arrival and wearing a mask at all times in the airport terminal building.
