What if I/we test positive prior to return to the US?

[Kimela]

This October will be our first trip to Bonaire and I'm hedging. Have any of you heard what happens to tourists who test positive and can't get on their flights back to the US? Where do they throw the 'unclean' whilst they quarantine? We are both vaccinated (Pfizer), but since that doesn't seem to be solid protection I'd like to have a contingency plan. I have written an email to the Plaza Resort to see what their policy is. I'll update you all when I hear back.

I apologize if this was covered elsewhere and I missed it.

 

[Divin'Papaw]

This October will be our first trip to Bonaire and I'm hedging. Have any of you heard what happens to tourists who test positive and can't get on their flights back to the US? Where do they throw the 'unclean' whilst they quarantine? We are both vaccinated (Pfizer), but since that doesn't seem to be solid protection I'd like to have a contingency plan. I have written an email to the Plaza Resort to see what their policy is. I'll update you all when I hear back.

I apologize if this was covered elsewhere and I missed it.

Pfizer & Moderna are VERY solid protection, just not 100%. No vaccine is 100% effective. But they’re 90-95% effective which is insanely good for a corona virus.

With that said, infection is possible so have a contingency plan for sure.

 

[Divin'Papaw]

My brother-in-law and his husband both came down with COVID-19 after being fully vaccinated (Moderna). My BIL had no clue he had it. His husband had mild to moderate symptoms after an outbreak at his work so they were both tested. My BIL was positive but never had any symptoms. His husband said it was like a bad cold and it lasted 3-4 days. Given what the virus can do to those with no natural immunity, I call that a win!

Didn't mean to derail your thread! Just didn't want you TOO concerned since you are vaccinated. However, having a contingency plan is a must for any international travel I'd say.

 

[Jake 10]

you may want to look at this post:
What to do if you test positive before flying home?

 

[Jake 10]

I also commend you for taking this subject seriously. If you’re vaccinated, a breakthrough infection rate is very low.

 

[Lorenzoid]

you may want to look at this post:
What to do if you test positive before flying home?

I have been watching that thread, which is at least in name about Cozumel specifically. I'm going to Bonaire next week, so I like the idea of a more Bonaire-focused thread.

I'm staying at a rental villa, not a resort. Splitting the cost of that 9 ways is what makes Bonaire affordable to me. A 10-day quarantine stay in a hotel room would be a real blow to my budget. I'm currently searching for insurance against those costs. All of the policies I have skimmed seem to come with caveats, such as a maximum 5-days of reimbursement.

 

[Lorenzoid]

I also commend you for taking this subject seriously. If you’re vaccinated, a breakthrough infection rate is very low.

I wonder how the breakthrough infection rate compares with the rate of lost luggage, trip interruption, and other things people commonly insure against. I generally don't buy travel insurance. I figure I have some intuitive grasp of the probabilities of events travel insurance typically covers and can handle the costs. But I don't have an intuitive grasp of the rate of breakthrough infections, and the costs of 10-days quarantine in a hotel, change of air ticket, etc., might add up to enough that it's worth it to me to buy insurance. But from what company?

 

[Jake 10]

@Lorenzoid
I was just providing a reference to @Kimela as a similar situation from another country, not particularly Bonaire.
I agree with you that it would break anyone's budget if staying at a hotel. It will definitely break mine.
It is a good move to check insurances, and maybe one with a possible air lift to USA.
Right now I'm staying put even CONUS.

 

[O-ring]

I had never bought trip insurance before, but Turks required it for entry so I found a reasonably priced policy from DiveAssure that covered quarantine related expenses, etc. (the stuff Turks required). It was $112, but you can probably get higher levels of coverage for more $$. I was only after the minimum requirement to get in country since I prefer to self-insure for stuff like this.

 

[Outbound]

I'm in the same boat. I'll be at the Plaza for a week in mid-September. My plan is not fully developed yet, but so far here's what I'm thinking:

I'm fully vaxxed, work from home, and have relatively little indoor interaction with people aside from grocery shopping and running quick errands. I mask up when indoors in those places. No large crowds for me, and no indoor dining. Nothing is 100%, but I don't anticipate testing positive on the required NAAT test prior to departing for Bonaire. Then, I'm thinking that it's best to take the test for US re-entry as soon as possible, which would limit the number of days of exposure while in Bonaire before testing. For a Saturday return, that means I can take the test as early as Wednesday. So basically I need to stay COVID-free for a little over three days. Given that pretty much all interaction with other people in Bonaire will take place outdoors, I'm not too worried.

I'll need to think more about the possibility of testing positive before returning and having to isolate in place. But the chances of that are fairly slim, I think.