Over $12M released to Health Ministry for COVID-19 fight

Government has spent more than $12 million towards supplying the British Virgin Islands with the necessary equipment to fully prepare against the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19).

Speaking on national radio recently, Premier Andrew Fahie said the monies were taken from the Reserved and Contingency Fund.

“We have issued over $12 million in the last month to ensure that the territory gets all the testing kits and some more respirators to make sure that there are certain rooms that are able to accommodate those who are at high risk,” Premier Fahie stated.

“We have done so many things in the medical field, and it is all accounted for to make sure that whatever is needed to keep our people safe is there,” he added.

Funds to purchase more equipment

Meanwhile, Deputy Premier and Minister of Health Carvin Malone said 300 test kits had been made available. But with the additional funding, his ministry has ordered “another 5,000”.

He said the additional funding was also used to procure medication to fight against COVID-19.

“As you may well be aware, although the tests may well show up negative … we still have to do additional tests to make sure that in this territory, we have done all that we can to test and retest and make sure that anyone who was tested before, when test again, they will not have symptoms of the virus,” Malone explained.

Malone further said four additional respirators have been purchased and are on their way to the BVI. These additional respirators will move the total count to nine.

Earlier this month, Minister Malone stated that Premier Fahie had issued a special warrant to secure initial funding of more than $3 million to assist with COVID-19 preparedness and response efforts.

He said at the time that government was prepared to make additional funds available if needed.