BVI now classified as having ‘clusters’ of COVID cases! Territory to enter partial lockdown
Minister of Health & Social Development Carvin Malone.
The British Virgin Islands is entering a partial lockdown after being confirmed to now have ‘clusters’ of COVID-19 cases in sections of the territory.
A COVID-19 cluster is said to occur when there is a concentration of infections in the same area at the same time.
Health Minister Carvin Malone indicated there were clusters during a live public broadcast shortly before midnight on Monday, August 24.
He said: “Over this past weekend, five new cases of COVID-19 were confirmed through PCR testing at the Dr D Orlando Smith Hospital, bringing the total number of cases detected in the territory to 26.”
He said 17 of these cases remain active, eight have recovered and one died. A total of 2,195 persons have been tested in the territory’s local laboratory to date.
The minister said COVID patient Number 22 was detected while obtaining treatment at the emergency room of the hospital.
Since then, the territory’s contact tracing teams have been working to identify and quarantine primary and secondary contacts connected to this patient.
Some 46 contacts of recent cases have been tested during the past week.
“Out of these investigations, three primary contacts of Case #22 tested positive, along with one primary contact of Case #12, which together comprise the five new cases detected. Given these circumstances, the BVI is now classified as having ‘clusters of cases’ in accordance with the World Health Organization (WHO) transmission classification guidelines.”
Curfew
In the meantime, Malone said the British Virgin Islands will be placed under a new curfew order, for 14 days.
That curfew will commence on Wednesday, August 26, from 5:01 pm to 4:59 am, he stated.
During the first seven days of the curfew period, the following categories of businesses will be allowed to operate, subject to review: supermarkets/minimarts (limited to two persons per vehicle), approved delivery services, pharmacies/drug stores, bakeries, banks (with limited internal operations, such as but not limited to the clearing of overnight deposits services).
Other businesses and services that will be permitted to operate are farmers and fisherfolk, fuel and LPG stations, private healthcare providers (subject to the approval of their client list by the Minister of Health), burials subject to approval by the Health Minister, essential workers as defined in Section 3 of the Labour Code, and exempted persons as listed in the current curfew order.
During this partial lockdown, visitations will be restricted to and from Her Majesty’s Prison except for emergencies. The same applies for the Adina Donovan Home for the Elderly, Virgin Gorda Elderly Home, Rainbow Children’s Home; Safe Haven Transition and other private residential facilities.
The Minister further said the territory remains in Phase III of its National Action Plan against the COVID-19 pandemic, which is dubbed the ‘Stamp it Out’ phase.
He said the aim is to “rapidly contain the spread and prevent transmission within the community, especially to vulnerable groups.”
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This is not the correct test to be using … this is a test from the 1980s. This is known for lots of false positives
PRC test “Polymerase chain reaction is a method widely used to rapidly make millions to billions of copies of a specific DNA sample, allowing scientists to take a very small sample of DNA and amplify it to a large enough amount to study in detail.”
Because of them island people infected around this place
Test test test!
The health authorities have failed the people. Covid has been in BVI all along but not enough testing was done. We actually ranked almost last place in the world for testing. Let’s truly get on top of this now. Everyone needs to take it seriously, wear a mask, wash your hands properly, stay 6 ft from all, no parties and be safe. The lives of our elders and vulnerable friends/neighbors depend on it. If we want our normal lives back we must get tested, trace it and isolate it.
Clusters means a lot. To all of you that is going around saying there is no virus in the BVI, you better start thinking how serious this is. If you hard headed, ignorant folks had just follow the rules that was put in place, we would not have gotten to this point. The Health Minister and his staff have a heck of a challenge ahead of them.
So mr minister I guess I can go party on the beach until 4PM then. since I can’t go to work 7am to 3pm. please rethink again?.
Government is doing a great job in trying to contain and mitigate against the virus spread.
It’s all pointless. The virus is gonna virus.
If the Government and/or Social Security was giving the people of the virgin islands the money they said that help us through this covid 19 virus pandemic maybe we won’t mind being on lockdown. It’s very sadden to see that other countries has been helping all of their citizens (not just the ones who have jobs, but the ones who don’t) so they can atleast be able to sustain themselves through this; However the bvi is the only country that says they are helping us but yet we have not seen any of that money.
Still no arrests?
The sad thing is, many people don’t like to wash their hands and some don’t like to wear the mask properly. I’ve seen people just walk into stores without washing their hands. I know a man who always complaining about having to wash hands and saying how he hate wearing the mask. Some people can be very careless with their LIVES SMH
@Test!!! You want test test test. Even if you test all, the following they can infected. MASKS SOCIAL DISTANCING AVOIDING CROWDS HANDWASHING SANITIZATION ARE
WHAT WE NEED TO FOLLOW STRICTLY.
Partial lock down again and i am still awaiting on a little funds from the simulus package to help feed my children. Persons who are single are getting money and people who have children. Social security might be closed up too so i guess no money to feed my kids.
Can you imagine how they would have slaughtered an expatriate if he was the one sneaking in individuals?
12 corona virus death in the USVI, latest, an elderly from the Queen Louise Nursing Home.
Little clusters around. Has been in the BVI even when we boasted that we had no cases. No cases because the infected was not tested.
People blogging, please stop promoting this xenophobic tendencies. Island people as you guys like to say didn’t bring the virus here in the first nor were they responsible for the this current outbreak.
If we come together as a people and take responsibility for our well-being and actions, we shall overcome this dreaded virus. As long as we continue to spew hatred and bigotry, we shall not advance.
I heard 2 ministers stood their ground against 24hr lock down… Nice, thats how the government should run, no one man show.
@ Jim you just can’t leave the expatriate thing die down you small minded man , you know who did what the man that smuggle people from St Maarten is from where so stop pointing it on both sides outsider and belongers doing this foolishness .So Jim my advise to you is be watchful instead of a confusion Maker.
K*** WISHES CAME THRU….ALL BARS AND WHOREHOUSES CLOSED
This whole thing was not properly thought out and is being interpreted in all sorts of ways. Leaves a lot for the imagination and needs serious clarification.
Public workers being sent home to do what they do during working hours – twiddle their thumbs and get fat pay checks for doing nothing.
The small man businesses closing; construction workers, restaurant workers, non-essential business place owners will be out of work. Government making sure they will not have to give out food to the needy and the greedy again.
People are panicking while some are preparing to lime on the still open beaches. What kind of craziness is this? All you want to drop people down or what?
I followed the BVI since the virus started and was very happy to see how well you were doing. I am now saddened that an outbreak is now in the BVI, especially Anegada which has no qualified medical health professionals. I will continue to keep the people of the BVI in my prayers.
One week we are the envy of the Caribbean and the next week we are the shit hole of the Region. It is so shameful that 6 months into COVID the Minister has the audacity to boast about putting this and that in place. What were you all doing the past months when you were bragging about rankings of places to travel because of low cases? This is the most inept Government of my lifetime and I am in my late 40s. The blunders of this government make the NDP pier park and plane situations seem like a picnic. I am ashamed.
@ JIM, EXACTLY, IF A EXPACT WAS RESPONSIBLE FOR SMUGGLING ILLEGALS IN THE BVI, THEY WOULD HAVE BEEN BEEN DRAG IN TOWN SQUARE
AND BURNED AT THE STAKE.SEE HOW QUIET THEY ARE? BECAUSE THEY ARE SHAME TO ADMIT IT IS THERE OWN I BORN HERE PEOPLE IS DOING IT.
Who are they
How many of persons from the RDA ship tested positive or negative. From they came to the islands is something, now all of a sudden is people get smuggling, i thought they where helpin to protect the borders, but it seems they tryin a conspiracy to bankrupt us and buy us out
Who is trans Caribbean??
The Government is hiding behind the whole smuggling nonsense. What we are dealing with is a result of a green government that has no idea what the f*** they are doing, let us call it what it is! Even if we want to blame smuggling, you’re telling me that 6 months into COVID is when we decide that we are going to secure the borders properly?
Just the other day he was touting how great the BVI was that the Territory was Covid free and an example to the world. The man knows nothing and what is worse is he’s dangerous. Anyone with a brain knows that Covid existed in the Territory. If that isn’t true then why did the government keep the curfew? Why are masks and social distancing required? Why was the start of school delayed. Here’s the facts. The government was hiding the truth from the people for political and monetary gain. Going into lockdown again will do nothing. What does work is keeping vigilant, wearing a mask when in public and social distancing. Nothing else works until there is a vaccine. Period
I waited for a 9p.m briefing nothing untilnearly midnight,how in the world can I take this Govt.seriously.At times like these it makes me feel U guys can’t be trusted.There’s more in the mortar than the pestel so pls. People of the BVI take precautions/adhere to protocsals/
do what’s right for ur family&the territory as a whole.For those who couldn’t hold up last night I thought the Govt.would’ve taken to the airwaves today for replays no they didn’t so I did my best for any questions asked.TRANSPARENCY
You are on every item, every week stoking division between the local Belonger and the African descendants from the other islands.
For what purpose are you doing this?
Plase be reminded: At the end of the day. it is but very small and uneducated minority who thinks and or speaks that way about “Island people.”
For the vast majority, we recognize our common heritage and humanity. We do not have hate in our hearts for each other. We love, cherish, marry and create families with each other. Those are the types of human necleuses you are seeking to destroy, aren’t you?. Evil white man.
It is clear to some that you are white who is very conscious of that division amoug some of us, and therefore, you seek to continuously reinforce that “down Island” divisive tool.
It will fail. We are not of the same mentality as our ancestor were when they were under forced bondage and intellectual development depravity for over 500 years. You got to come good today. We ain’t fools no mo.
Wondering when the brits will stop thinking and speaking about the Irish, for example. Yo get the drift?
Not quite true Jim. White people do it every day and night. Ony difference between them and the Black ones, they don’t hide, they do it out in the open because of the privilidge their skin color has acquired over the centuries.
They are the only people, white people, Indians Arabs and Chinese also, are never targetted by police and law enforcement for drugs and guns smuggling, drug use, or drug sales.
Yet they are thy ones known as the biggest dealers, investors and users. The Cays around the territory is a paraise for white illgal activity. Law enforcement knos it, but does the opposite, attack the Black community instead.
For the record, Island people nor the local or Belonger did not bring Covid to the BVI. The demons from UK, US and EU did.
To the few of you who simply don’t know how much harm you are doing to yourself and the image of your people by posting that “down island, islan people” foolishness, you need to stop it. It makes us all look foolish and it gives our enimies an opportunity and a weapon to further divide and keep us fightitng each other. We have enough of their created problems to solve among ourselves.
Let’s stop the island people foolishness and get down to fixing some greater serious problems that we have.
For example, i have worked for government for 32 years and counting. I was deliberately denied most to all of my increments and salary increases for those entire 32 years, this while performing duties with exceptional skill, dedication, committment and productivity.
Guess what, locals, though a hand full were of expat linage, it was and still is Belongers, family members and complicit government officials (all Belongers) whodid and are still doing those immorals to me, not down island or island people.
So when when i have to go on the street to beg my bread in old age to survive, tis the local, Belonger, some family members and government will be to blame, not the island people.
That kind of vicious, systemic and deeply rooted victimization of local people by local people is a very grave matter that must be fixed, before someone finally looses his/her mind and explodes.
I am not confident, based on resposes i have received from this new government, that they will fix my case, even though there is absolutely no grounds why it shouldn’t, or that they have realize or care how serious a problem the reality of victimization and its horrible consequences really are in the territory and upon the victims.It is a horrible pain that one lives with daily. Only the right actions by the perpertrators and govnment can heal that pain.
Meanwhile, It will happen. It is just a matter of time, but it will happen. There will be mass shootings and killings here in this territory over brutal victimization issues. It is just a matter of time, when and where.
I took my 32 year brutalization. So far, the Premier’s administration an his officials appears unconcerned. They appear to have not applied the mmoral imperative, professional rights, christian values of right and wrong principles, nor the monies to correct what they know is a wrong perpetuated against me.
All i can say, it is a grave injustice to work a man or woman all his life and do not pay him or her what they have rightfully, legally and honorably earned.Until that when when they start doing to their pwn peole, the need to leave god, jesus and island people name out of them mouth.
Honestly, Pier Park was a correct step in the scheme of development and investment into the future. What should the government invested those monies in, relative to the tourism product, if not the peir then?
The problem appears to be knowledgable efficient and expert management to take that enterprise the the net level. That is what Peir Park has been lacking sinec construction was completed.
So far, you’ve got eighteen white dove fools agreeing with you. The believe any lie stated by white anyway.
The truth is Jim, all nationalities, white especially are involve in smuggling, so take that self righteous hypocrisy some where else.White expats are as huilty as the Black for shuggling peole into the territory. Just that law enflorcement only enforces it laws in the Black community. You Jim, and your kind lives a life of no accountability to the law in the BVI. There has not been one arrest of white for weed, smuggling, trafficking or nothibg else in the territory since it began keeping records. Are the that clea and godl Jim?
Sadly, the law enforcement has been well programmed to only look at only Black people and their communities. Afterall, who. holds the two most powerful seats of power in the territory? Wonder why then there is never not even one arrest for weed, coke, smuggling, trafficking and other in the white community Jim? when all internatinal statics holds that whites engage in smoke, drink, smuggle, traffic and engage in other illegal to a far greater extent than Blacks do.
Oh no whoever you are,Keep the US out of your F***ing problems. Who is more demons than you INBREEDS.
You. Your statement proves your level of humanity below that of a vermin or inbreed.
Are the Gym supposed to be closed.Castaway was open yesterday and again Castaway open this morning. Main door closed, entrance by side door. Dozen of cars parked. Should the law for eveybody the same??