by Brian Major
Last updated: 2:30 PM ET, Mon November 3, 2014
Photo: Travelers from four African countries have been banned from travel to St. Maarten. (Photo by Brian Major).
Add St. Maarten to the list of Caribbean destinations banning travelers from several West African countries due to Ebola. The country's minister of public health today announced bans on entry to St. Maarten for "all persons that have travelled in the past 21 days to, from and through Guinea, Liberia, Sierra Leone and the Democratic Republic of Congo."
The ban will remain in effect "until the areas and countries are declared Ebola-free by the World Health Organization (WHO)," said the minister of health, Dr. Cornelius De Wever. The ban also applies to people who "have been in contact with a suspected or confirmed Ebola case from affected countries."
St. Maarten has also banned passengers aboard any "boat or ship that has a person or persons on board that have suspected or confirmed case(s) of Ebola." Incoming flights with suspected cases of Ebola will be allowed to land, refuel and return to country of origin, DeWever said.
St. Maarten joins Antigua and Barbuda, Belize, the Dominican Republic, Haiti, Jamaica, Suriname, St. Kitts and Nevis, St. Lucia and St. Vincent and the Grenadines in imposing Ebola-linked bans on West African travelers.
Although they acknowledge there are no direct flights from the West African countries to any Caribbean destinations, regional government health and tourism officials have said their countries lack the facilities and services to deal with an Ebola epidemic. Several added that because their countries are so tourism-dependent they must take extra precautions.
Interestingly, while the St. Maarten statement mentions WHO, the same organization recommends that countries refrain from enacting travel bans. Nevertheless, Caribbean officials seem determined to prevent any possibility the virus could be introduced to their islands.
"We regret that we are in the position where we need to restrict travel to our island, however, we must put the health and well-being of our people and visitors alike ahead of everything else," said Ted Richardson, St. Maarten's minister of tourism, economic affairs, transportation and telecommunication.
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