Musings on Bonaire reopening to tourists

[smits]

There is a lot of confusion. Even KLM has problems interpreting the rules.
This is the latest:

people traveling from the Netherlands to Bonaire do not need to be in possession of a negative Covid-19 test, nor do they have to worry about being placed in isolation for 14 days upon arrival on the island. This also applies to travelers from Belgium, Luxembourg, France and Germany.

travelers from Curaçao, Aruba, Sint Maarten, Saba and Sint Eustatius do not have to be quarantined if they stayed on the island of departure in the 14 days prior to the visit to Bonaire

[susan]

There is a lot of confusion. Even KLM has problems interpreting the rules.
This is the latest:

people traveling from the Netherlands to Bonaire do not need to be in possession of a negative Covid-19 test, nor do they have to worry about being placed in isolation for 14 days upon arrival on the island. This also applies to travelers from Belgium, Luxembourg, France and Germany.

travelers from Curaçao, Aruba, Sint Maarten, Saba and Sint Eustatius do not have to be quarantined if they stayed on the island of departure in the 14 days prior to the visit to Bonaire

Just a few corrections: As I stated earlier, Luxembourg is now on the high-risk list and Switzerland has moved to the low-risk list. In regard to the COVID-19 test, Bonaire cannot legally mandate this, but asks all those visiting to please comply with the request for the public safety of the people on Bonaire. As of yesterday, 90% of those coming in from the European Netherlands had complied.

[tursiops]

Just a few corrections: As I stated earlier, Luxembourg is now on the high-risk list and Switzerland has moved to the low-risk list. In regard to the COVID-19 test, Bonaire cannot legally mandate this, but asks all those visiting to please comply with the request for the public safety of the people on Bonaire. As of yesterday, 90% of those coming in from the European Netherlands had complied.

Just because it emphasizes the idiocy in the US right now, there is no way I can get a PCR virus test and get the results back in time to arrive on Bonaire with a negative test no more than 72h old. Test results are taking 3-5-7 days at best.
So even if the rules were partially relaxed on the Bonaire end, I could not meet the preflight test guideline/request. 864511032020.

[susan]

Understood, Mel. I do believe the government is only speaking about those currently allowed to visit Bonaire. I think it is wise to see what happens in the coming months as the situation is in a constant state of flux right now. The request for testing and/or other entry requirements can change ten times before those in high-risk countries can visit. In other words, don't necessarily think that was it being asked today will be asked in the future--it could be more, and it could be less.

[tursiops]

My next group trips to Bonaire are scheduled in August 2021. I do hope things have stabilized by then!

[Canuck52]

Hi Susan,

Thanks for yours and others with local knowledge for the inputs. I fully agree, we are just in a holding pattern back at our Summer home in BC Canada waiting until we hear absolute positive proof they will allow Canadians back in, even if it means a trip over and then back over the big pond to do so. We have got some very good local Bonaire folks looking after our house/pool/gardens. We now also have some other very good folks looking out for brand new sailboat that just arrived on the transport ship the Erasmusgracht on Saturday the 18th from Germany. If anyone who was on Island and happened to be downtown on Saturday it was the white sailboat on the bow that was lifted off by a large onboard crane and then parked at the North Pier for a while before being taken over to the Harbour Village Marina, to Slip A13. Also a very nice shout out to the Dockmaster at HVM, they are very busy with many boats due to the various lockdowns in the entire Caribbean region, but they managed to find a new Bonaire boat a home on Bonaire. Our boat is now flagged in Bonaire, we are the proud owners of B-1296 and we will proudly fly the Bonaire Flag whenever she is at sea. Sorry a bit off topic here, but we are still very excited even if we cannot be there.

The only saving grace, at least so far, is we are stuck in Canada in the Summer, which is really not too bad at all. Now if that extends to this coming Winter, I may get a wee-bit more frustrated. But only time will tell. We are mostly all along for this Covid-19 ride.

Take Care,
Steve & Elaine

[sidemount]

Delta just cancelled by mid September flights....I have a class scheduled on Bonaire...I plan to change it to September 2021.....

[susan]

Hi Susan,

Thanks for yours and others with local knowledge for the inputs.....

Take Care,
Steve & Elaine

You're very welcome, Steve and Elaine! I wish I could be the bearer of better news, but the best option is still wait and see. I realize that is very frustrating for many folks, but this is a new era for Bonaire (and for the world!), and we are writing the script as we go along. Changes are inherent in that process. Keep the faith, and one day we will get back to some form of normal.

All the best for a great Canadian summer! Susan

[agd]

I don't quite understand the concern/confusion in this post. Bonaire has listed the countries they will let in. No need or reason to list the ones they won't let in, nor to give those some name, like medium or high. It is kind of like a menu; the restaurant tells you what they have, not what they don't have.

A good observation and an apt menu metaphor. So if they had said “If it ain’t on the menu, you can’t have it”, in this case, words to the effect of “arrivals from other than listed “low risk” countries” that would fit. But after listing the low risk countries, they then go on to talk about high risk countries without defining them. It is definitely a presumption to assume that anything that is not low risk is necessarily high risk since, for example, the next door neighbour, Curaçao, among others, defines countries that are neither high risk nor low risk. Susan’s Info Bonaire link also relies on that same “if it is not white, it must be black” logic, ignoring all the shades of grey and the spectrum on the pallet that are neither. I am not doubting that Susan is in all likelihood fully correct and appreciate the helpful information she provides so I will go along with that presumption. But the language is undeniably imprecise.

Along the same line, Steve’s mention of getting to Bonaire via a double hop of the big pond brings up some interesting questions. Susan’s Info Bonaire link refers to countries from which flights are permitted. Again, it does not say anything about citizenship or, possibly more relevant, the residency of those aboard that flight. So can Steve and Elaine go from Calgary to Amsterdam and on to Bonaire? The assumption would be not, but I have not seen anything that refers to other than the origin of the flight itself.

[thom]

My presumption is where you have been, not where you are from. So, if an Amsterdamer had been in NYC during the previous two weeks he would need to wait till he had been back to a low-risk place for two weeks. It would work the same if the American had been in Amsterdam for the previous two weeks then flew on to Bonaire.

And that's why the lack of imprecision leads to confusion.