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Cruise ship visit can’t be blamed for COVID outbreak in BVI — Malone

Celebrity Millennium captured at the CB Romney Tortola Pier Park on Thursday, July 1. (BVI News Photo)

Health Minister Carvin Malone has sought to dispel claims that a cruise ship that visited the territory at the start of July caused the BVI’s current COVID-19 outbreak. 

The last few weeks of this outbreak has seen a spiralling death toll of more than 20 persons and the number of active positive cases exceeding 1,600.  

The BVI’s COVID-19 spike began several days before the arrival of Celebrity Millennium — the first cruise ship to visit the territory with passengers in more than a year.

“We cannot blame the resurgence of a cruise ship to the delta variant that is all over the world,” Malone said on the VIP’s Let’s Talk radio show this week.

He said if persons look at Britain’s surge in COVID cases, they would similarly not be able to attribute this to a cruise ship visit.

“Check the United Kingdom. Is it the same cruise ships that went there that came here? I don’t think so,” Malone argued.

If you see something, say something

The minister suggested that while a 24-hour lockdown has been encouraged by some persons, this has not been the government’s preference.

The government has instead called for a national stay-at-home practise and has instituted a 7 pm- 5am daily curfew for the past few weeks.

The Health Minister said persons should say something if they see something — reporting any breach of the protocols to the relevant authorities.

Curb your behaviour

Meanwhile, Premier Andrew Fahie said lockdowns would be of no effect if there is no behaviour change.

He suggested persons should hold each other accountable as a means of securing future generations.

“The truth of the matter is, we have to curb our behaviour. There are still some behaviours happening that if they continue to happen then you will be forcing things on that we will try to evade as a country.”

The legislators said government has put several measures in place to curb the spread of the virus, but could not control human behaviour to any degree that would prevent persons from spreading the virus.

They said there are pockets of people who continue to refuse to adhere to existing protocols to prevent the spread of COVID-19.

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16 Comments

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  1. steroids says:

    To add insult to injury that visit did indeed contributed to the outbreak….Fuel on the fire

    Like 7
    Dislike 21
    • @steroids says:

      People on the ship vaccinated unlike the local island morons. How’s the bush tea and soaking working out.

      Like 12
      Dislike 9
      • Aye ya yay! says:

        Well let them stay on the ship then. Nothing can beat the body’s natural immune system Not even this so called vaccine, which is not really a vaccine. Traditional VACCINES create IMMUNITY, which means you don’t contract the disease you’re being vaccinated against. So how is it that with the so called covid vaccine you are able to contract and transmit? Let’s educated ourselves.

        Firstly, let’s build our body’s natural immune system and practice a healthier lifestyles.

        Like 6
        Dislike 18
        • Dat so? says:

          Seems like the virus beat the immune system on some 23 individuals in the Territory, so your claim that nothing beats the body’s immune system is not supported. And, please do educate yourself, and explain to us why you think that 99% + of Covid fatalities are people not vaccinated.

          Like 2
          Dislike 2
        • Frogger says:

          “ Let’s educated ourselves”.
          Need I say more?

          Like 1
          Dislike 1
  2. Aye ya yay! says:

    What is to blame is the decision to not test and quarantine vaccinated persons although they can contract and transmit the virus. Whoever made that catastrophic BLUNDER should admit, apologize and step down NOW!

    Moreover, promoting a health conscious platform must be adopted. Educate our people and let them choose based on their own medical history.

    Like 27
    Dislike 10
    • admit? says:

      If they admit to any dumb decision they made covid and all might just come to a perpetual end. They take responsibility for no wrong moves but want to be praised for their positives and negatives. What a set. See the leader going around on a mike proclaiming ‘vaxxinate, vaxxinate’ but the pastorships and christians can’t take the same loudspeaker and go around saying ‘repent, repent’

      Like 12
      Dislike 1
  3. Enforce says:

    Enforce the so called fines for people not following protocols and breaking curfew. It is a matter of life and death. Do something instead just talking!

    Like 13
  4. BVI says:

    WE NEED TO TEST EVERYONE ONE COMING TO OUR SHORES, VACCINATED OR NOT

    Like 22
    Dislike 3
  5. WEW says:

    And your medical expertise – education ?

  6. sol says:

    When Trump was president he said more they do test more the cases rise. He was right, more we test more cases rise. Stop contact tracing for covid 19 and contact trace the missing plane!!

    Like 6
    Dislike 4
  7. Behaviour says:

    The same foolishness that’s happening in East End is also happening in Carrot Bay, with people sat around outside drinking with each other. Police need to drive through all of the communities checking for this typa nonsense!

  8. Another Slip up says:

    The Health Minister need to take responsibility for protocols that he put in place especially since we now know that you can still CONTACT & SPREAD THIS VIRUS AND IT VARIANTS AFTER BEING VACCINATED.

  9. bvi says:

    well said! and you all parents must control your children and keep them home too if they are not doing anything or with the parents please!! children spreading all over too and some of them has no cautions at all! keep them children home!!!1

  10. VI says:

    Health minister just full of crap, he was the same person who said fully vaccinated person coming into the vi don’t need testing or quarantine, so i guest those same tourist who fully vaccinated never goes white bay or willy T pure foolishness on that call health minister so don’t act like you don’t have anything to do with all the problem now

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