Steelyeyes
Contributor
The "speed" of progress on this island is not what a lot of us are used to. If you think this is slow watch how fast they fix the potholes.
Covid surging in Bonaire
- Thread starter tursiops
- Start date
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Well I am going to Bonaire tomorrow from Aruba, and every sight I look at says 72 hours, so I am going to go with that. I took pictures of all the sights and they all say 72 hours. So they better update the sights, if they want to change it to 48 hours.
Bob, the official information is here on the Bonaire Crisis web site: https://bonairecrisis.com/en/travel
If you're referring to the amount of time between an NAAT (PCR) test and departure for Bonaire from a "high risk" country, such as the US, it says 48 hours on this page of that web site: https://www.bonairecrisis.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/08/Reisvoorwaarden_Bonaire_08-08-ENG.png
As mentioned in a post above, a few days ago they updated that chart, which formerly said 72 hours between NAAT test and departure for Bonaire.
I don't know if the amount of time is different for departure from Aruba to Bonaire because I'm not taking the time to look, but I'm sure it's on that web site.
According to bonairecrisis.com, all travelers require a health assessment between 48-72 hours before departure. Aruba is classified as a low-risk (yellow) country, so fully vaccinated people need no test at all, and not fully vaccinated people need a NAAT (PCR) test within 48 hours of departure. So if you're vaxxed Bob, you should be fine.
Edit to add the charts, as of today:
Edit to add the charts, as of today:
OP
This is NOT current info. The 72h window (prior to arrival) has been reduced to 48h.(prior to departure.
The ID NOW test is NAAT and is accepted; the test itself is a RT-PCR test, where RT does not mean rapid test but rather reverse transcription. Results take an hour or so.
Correct.
The Health Dept Form asks if your PCR test was positive or negative. Just answer negative, because when you finally get it if it is positive you are not going to Bonaire anyway. Or, answer unknown.
When you arrive in Bonaire, you will be asked as you are walking from the plane to the entry portals, "Are you vaccinated?" If you say "No" you get directed to an antigen test (at your cost) before entering. If you answer "Yes" then you go directly to the entry: at portal one they look at your vaccination card to make sure you are in the right line, at your Health Dept Form paper copy you are carrying with you to make sure you have insurance and have signed it, and at your NAAT test result to make sure it was within the time window. The you go to portal two and they look at your passport. Then you go to baggage claim and wait forever for your bags...it is Bonaire, after all.
The only glitches encountered were (a) on AA at Rayleigh-Duram NC where they wanted to see the NAAT result and insisted the form had to say PCR on it....NAAT was not good enough. A discussion with a supervisor cleared that up. (b) At DL at Atlanta where the gate agent wanted to see the Bonaire Health Dept Form QR code.....there is no such thing, she insisted there was, and the entire gate area -- all going to Bonaire and all with their Form in their hand -- insisted there was not. She finally said, just show me the Form.
Well, they might have changed the rule but I called EZ air line, which is who I am flying with, this morning. They told me its 72 hours prior. Every websight I have looked at, says 72 hours prior. I am fully vaccinated. I will have a Neg PCR test in my hands and it will be 65 hours prior. If they did change the rules, then they need to spread the news to the airline. I also heard from a board over in Bonaire. They told me if I have been on Aruba longer than 2 weeks, I can just come with my vaccine card. So I am going to go and see how it all turns out. I took pictures of every sight I seen that says 72 hours prior, a PCR test. I will let you know how it turns out. AB
The ID NOW test is apparently not as accurate as PCR--more false negatives. But if it's good enough for Bonaire, it's good enough for me.
I'm having a difficult time finding the ID NOW test in my area. Walgreen's supposedly offers it, but every location in the greater Atlanta area that Walgreen's lists as providing it lists "no appointments available." This appears to relate to only the present day and the next day, and there doesn't appear to be a way to make appointments further out. I can't wait until 48 hours before my flight to chance some Walgreen's in the area will have an appointment or chance a walk-in.
A clinic in the area offers the ID NOW test for $160. Their instructions are very clear and allow you to make an appointment for whenever. I guess I'll dig into my wallet.
OP
Walgreens has been slammed. Same problem in the greater DC area. I got a nearby test July 29 with no issues; my wife is having to drive 30 miles for a test Aug 12.
Some pay-when-tested places will supply the paperwork you need to get reimbursed by your insurance company(s).
CVS gives free tests in some location.
The tests of last resort are at the XpresCheck sites at airports; expensive and you need to go in the day before.
Whatever you do, don't get talked into a home test or an antigen test if you are going to Bonaire; you won't get in.
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