BVI News

No plans to adopt CDC’s ‘no mask’ guideline for fully vaccinated in BVI

The CDC

As of May 2021, the US Centers for Disease Control & Prevention (CDC) has issued significantly relaxed guidelines to include whereby fully vaccinated persons no longer need to wear masks — whether indoors or outdoors, in most circumstances.

When asked yesterday whether BVI health officials are considering a similar announcement, Premier Andrew Fahie responded, “not right now”.

In addition to the new no-mask guideline, fully vaccinated people can also resume activities without physically distancing, except where required by laws, rules and regulations, including local business and workplace guidance.

They can also refrain from testing before leaving the United States for international travel (unless required by the destination) and refrain from self-quarantine after returning to the US, among other things.

In addition to this, the fully vaccinated can refrain from testing following a known exposure unless they are residents or employees of a correctional or detention facility or homeless shelter.

BVI making adjustments to WHO’s regulations

Last week, the World Health Organization (WHO) advised countries to continue the safety precautions even for vaccinated persons.

Asked to declare the BVI’s position and state whether the government will continue adhering to WHO’s advice, Premier Fahie said the BVI would likely make some adjustments for those who had been vaccinated, even as they maintained compliance with WHO regulations and kept restrictions in place for unvaccinated persons.

“It isn’t that you (the BVI) have done away with them,” Premier Fahie said. “But for vaccinated persons, based on the percentage of risk that you can afford to take, it is high in terms of what you can afford to take versus if someone is not vaccinated. So you would have certain things reduced when you look at it from a scientific perspective for persons such as that. So it’s not that you are eliminating them but you would adjust certain things.”

The Premier further said although WHO advised that simply vaccinating was not enough, other advice they gave seemed contradictory. 

“We’re not doing away with the protocols at all,” he then reiterated.

Slow vaccine uptake

Meanwhile, the BVI currently faces a dilemma with frustratingly slow vaccine uptakes and the government’s continued insistence that there will be no attempts at mandatory vaccination for the population.

The Fahie-led administration has continued to pin its hopes on persons demonstrating an increasing interest in the government’s vaccination rollout.

Hopes continue to fade, however, as time quickly runs out with the expiration dates of the current batch of the AstraZeneca vaccines drawing closer.

In a statement issued earlier this month, Health Minister Carvin Malone said he had hoped that all doses of the jab would be used up by end of May.

However, as of this week, the Premier said a further 5,000 first-doses of the jab remain on hand to be taken up before there could be a “comfortable” re-opening of the territory’s economy.

“What we will not do is allow our supply of vaccines to expire awaiting the decisions of some of the public. In this regard, a decision will have to be made whether or not the volume of vaccines that is at risk of being expired would have to be returned to the United Kingdom and/or Dominica,” the Premier had expressed.

Frustration at lack of protocols for expected cruise liners

In the meantime, the first passenger cruise liner in well over a year, the Celebrity Millennium, is expected to visit the BVI’s shores within the next two weeks.

With some critics expressing mounting concern at the sluggish rollout of protocols for engagement with tourists being formulated at such a late stage, it remains unclear what steps can be taken to mitigate the expected reduction in revenue likely to be received due to the limited exposure of tourists to local businesses.

The territory’s COVID-19 epidemiological summary as at May 26, 2021.

 

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47 Comments

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    • gigga says:

      the CDC is a foreign organisation. Why would we take notice of anything from a country that has by far the highest death toll from COVID in the world?

      Like 15
      Dislike 17
      • Hmm says:

        But cdc was the same place that issue mask, testing and social distance. Why you followed them with that when the issue it. Know all the facts before you criticize

        Like 20
        Dislike 4
      • Careful ..... says:

        I suspect it s the only country that honestly reported the statistics accurately.

        Then again I am sure ignorant people like you would tend to yield to the ‘honesty’ and ‘integrity’ of the W.H.O.

        Ignorance is bliss! 😉

        Like 14
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        • Yaya says:

          Seriously? You don’t think Germany, Britain and Australia, for example, accurately report their Covid stats? Of course they do.

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      • Haha says:

        But, yet you jump to take the vaccine when they said to LOL

        Like 8
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        • gigga says:

          I took the vaccine because it’s obviously a wonderful thing, nothing to do with anything the CDC in the US said.
          I don’t need the WHO to tell me what is obvious either. My point is not that these organisations are wrong or right. It is that they are redundant when common sense is used and in the case of the CDC it is specific to the US and is no more relevant than, say , the Israeli equivalent to us in BVI.

    • Need says:

      Need to keep the mask requirement in place because the dumba** Belongers won’t get vaccinated. Prefer their voodoo African s**t. Live long and prosper vaccinated people. The Darwin affect will take care of the dumba**es

      Like 13
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      • Mercyfather. says:

        The racism on this site is sickening. If the shoe was on the other foot, them would lick us in our own black township. But let them start, man. The days of Kunta Kintae gone long time. The rabbit will skin first.

        Like 3
        Dislike 1
        • Popo says:

          Racism is abhorrent but I don’t see too much of it here. Occasionally some idiot tries to stir things up but they are really obvious and could be from people of any race. Relax and just live your life in a good way so you don’t add to any unpleasantness.

      • Weholdtruths says:

        We shall keep the African S**t. We know as fact of the plan to reduce black people from the planet.
        As it was in the beginning, so it shall be in the end. We shall regain our rightful place on planet earth while you seek refuge in the caves to save your skin from the sun. Long live the Sun God.
        We love our vood** sh**t. We read now and know that you went to Africa and stayed there and thief a lot of the Africans’ sh**t, including Regina. Bunch of Edomites without culture. We on to your sh**t now too.

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  1. BVI mike says:

    Sorry to hear this. We won’t be returning to our home there anytime soon. Tourists likely not to return as well.
    What happened to following the SCIENCE???

    Like 18
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    • @BVI Mike says:

      Yes, follow the science… Here in the BVI only about 30% adults have had a jab, so most of the population could easily catch COVID if there was an outbreak!!!

      Like 8
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      • right says:

        yes, because the other 70% are also following the science … their own made version done in the best research lab of the BVI.

        Like 10
      • Follow the science says:

        Vaccinated persons do not easily transmit the virus, so why should they have to wear masks? The overall vaccination percentage is irrelevant.

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  2. Ha says:

    So them say

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  3. Knowing says:

    Knowing the people of the BVI many would know they are not vaccinated or have no intentions to be vaccinated but would not want to wear a mask. Fix it Jesus!

    Like 6
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    • what says:

      “fix it Jesus” – you dont understand it … those people are counting on god to protect them ..

      what is there for Jesus to fix?

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  4. Rubber Duck says:

    If you want people to vaccinate Mr Premier, you have to give them some incentives to do so.

    I applaud the reduced quarantine for vaccinated persons recently introduced, absolutely correct.

    Now let’s follow the example of the USA and let vaccinated persons go around without these dreadful masks. But maybe we need some way that vaccinated persons can show they are vaccinated. Some kind of badge?

    Like 10
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  5. WEW says:

    With most of the population refusing to get vaccinated thats no surprise and if questioned they’d lie anyway

    Like 12
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  6. BIBLE says:

    I thought whatever CDC and who say was the science. Same people telling us to follow the science and pull up sleeve because who say so, now sceptical about the mask. Interesting. So you should have your opinion on the lifting the mask but people who have their opinion against the prick should hush. The name for people like that is hip-o-crit

    Like 11
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    • mask says:

      the cdc says you can remove the mask … yes, because they got over 50% of the people vaccinated you *$%$%….

      half truth ,,,

      go vaccinated.

      Like 2
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    • Human says:

      People who are “against the prick” ? Call them by their name, you anti- lesbian a**! I may have misread your intent there…..
      Anyhow…
      Also “hip-o-crit” is a 70s family board game.

  7. CDC Much better than WHO says:

    World health organization is the one responsible for this pandemic, they knew of the Virus from early, but before they report it to the world they were looking a reason to cover up for China,, Even up to today when world iintelligence is saying the virus came from Wuhun China, the useless criminal world health organization still going against all the evidence to defend China, CDC is way more credible… We need to Jump off of WHO wicked evil Bus..

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    • @CDC Much better than WHOCDC Much better than WHO says:

      Nonesense. The virus was released from labs in the UK and US. Who know know.

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  8. No tests says:

    If you have been vaccinated and test negative 5 days before arrival, no test needed upon entry. PERIOD! All this other stuff from the BVI is nonsense

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  9. USA says:

    I am fully vaccinated however, I will continue to wear a mask and social distance. That is my choice.

    Like 12
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  10. BIG BAD WOLF says:

    HIS ANSWER IS LIKE THAT OF A BIG BAD WOLF. MISTER YOU WILL NOT BE IN CHARGE FOREVER, SO DO WHAT PLEASES YOU UNTIL YOUR TIME RUNS OUT. NEVER A COMFORTING WORD.

  11. @ BVI Mike says:

    We dont trust the science because of all the lies. Why in hell was this type of experiment being carried out in the first place. There are those who are still denying that the virus is man made. How can we trust people who are this evil. Tell the world the truth about what happened in Wuhan. Tell them the entire horror story if you dare. We don’t trust the government because we know that they are spinning a web of lies.Tell us about the Fallen Angels\Annunaki bloodline and their evil agenda for the human race.

    Like 7
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    • You tell them says:

      everything is a lie, there is no such thing as a vaccine, there is no such thing as COVID 19, No one is really dying ,,, its all made by Bill to get his 5G thing in …

      In fact, it all lie that I think someone changed your response … ho and my response … cant trust no one ….

      disclaimer: the above is a cynical answer … I worry too many actually believe in the above. To be clear … its all lie – i dont mean it. OK?

      Like 6
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  12. oh boy says:

    ARE WE DIFFERENT OR JUST PLAIN IGNORANT AND STUPID?

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  13. BVI says:

    The people of the BVI do not realize that they are the reason why this country cannot progress. Just rude disrespectful people.

    Like 18
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  14. @ BVI Mike says:

    Just as I imagined a bunch of arrogant idiotic responses but carry on.

  15. @ BVI says:

    yes rude disrespectful sheeple. Bad sheep go get vaccinated.

  16. Ausar says:

    Well, I could tell ya: As long as I am in the BVI, my mask will be worn!

    I’m very sorry for those of you who do not believe in the sciences, but this one, it’s about life and death and the continuity of residual effects of the COVID!

    I will not take chances returning back to the USVI only to be forced into a doctors office because I caught something foreign and unknown!

    Three medical schools on the way, eh? This is exactly why we need them: Continual and continued research into the etiology of diseases..

    My goodness!!

  17. The Aware says:

    Beware of the Zombie Apocalypse… Yall good friend the CDC even brought up tips on what do if one occurs recently.

  18. Mr Shovels says:

    CDC: plz get vaccinated but you’ll still need a mask and social distance
    Americans: well there’s no point in getting vaccinated is there?
    CDC: wait we misspoke. (time to sweeten the pot) get vaccinated and you can run wild and free and even go back to the bars.
    Americans: well sign me up!
    Bill Gates: *rubs hands together*

    Like 2
    Dislike 1
  19. hillarious says:

    Be like florida.. we doing everything right. 😉

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