The Bottom, Saba – Recently the Saba Business Association (SBA) held a meeting with the Executive Council regarding matters pertaining to entry policies and protocols.

According to the latest figures, a total of 1297 persons were vaccinated on Saba and another group will be vaccinated before the end of April. The expected number of 90% fully vaccinated people seems to be a reality. Regarding the entry policy, it was clear that May 1st is when the borders open up, however, questions did arise regarding the covid insurance that is mandatory when traveling to St. Maarten. The St. Maarten government offers this for $30 with a validity of 6 months (see the EHAS website). The current email used for permission to enter the island will still be in place as the government is looking to have a system like EHAS in place.

According to the government, the current alert levels will remain in place and the current measures will not change. The SBA suggested for the government to organize a campaign reminding the pubic to continue to practice good hygiene and thanked the government for placing the sanitizing stations on the island.

To accommodate travelers to Saba once the borders open, Winair has increased their flight schedule per May 1st but the ferry companies have not made a commitment as yet as when to re-start the service to the island. The Edge is willing to start as soon as possible and a proposal has been submitted. The ferry service is not expected to start up before the 4th quarter of this year.

In addition, the government is negotiating with Green Destinations to provide their seal to businesses on Saba. Green Destinations is a non-profit organization for sustainable destination development and recognition, based in the Netherlands. The initial costs will be covered by government, which will cover the first year of use of the seal. All eligible businesses are expected to pay for this after the first year – expected cost is about $100 per year.

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