BVI News

Shop for 14-days! BVI going on complete lockdown in 3 days

Premier Fahie

Government is designating three consecutive days for residents to stock up on supplies and conduct essential business before the BVI enters another 24-hour lockdown that will last for 14 days.

During this designated stock-up period, the first letter of a person’s surname will be used to determine when he/she will be allowed to leave their homes to access essential goods and services.

Premier Andrew Fahie made that announcement during a live public broadcast on Tuesday, April 1.

He said persons with surnames beginning with the letters ‘A’ through to ‘I’ will be allowed to leave their homes to stock up and conduct essential business between 6 am and 6 pm on Thursday, April 2.

Persons with surnames beginning with the letters ‘J’ through to ‘R’ will be allowed the same privilege during the same hours on Friday, April 3, while residents with surnames beginning with the letters ‘S’ through to ‘Z’ will be permitted out on Saturday, April 4.

Don’t leave home if under mandatory quarantine

“No one under mandatory quarantine will be allowed to leave his/her home during this period and measures will be implemented as to how they would receive essential supplies,” Premier Fahie said.

He said these measures involve the establishment of a Client Support Centre for quarantined persons. This support centre will be managed by the Office of the Deputy Governor and the newly-installed Health Emergency Operations Centre.

“Those persons in the vulnerable categories must also remain at home and receive their essential and basic supplies through home deliveries.”

Shop for 14 days!

The Premier also said essential workers listed in the curfew order as well as those shopping for ‘vulnerable categories’ (the sick and elderly), will be allowed an extended time period to shop. These persons will be permitted out to access the basic and essential services between 6 am and 8 am.

Only one person per household is allowed out to access these essential goods and services.

“Persons permitted outside their homes to use essential services must only leave their homes to go directly to those places of business and go straight back home. I remind you to do what is right and do not congregate anywhere or visit anyone while you leave your home,” Fahie said.

Premier further advised resident to “shop for a minimum of 14 days”.

Gov’t partners with FSN to assist families experiencing hardship

In the meantime, the government has partnered with the Family Support Network (FSN) to provide assistance to families who are experiencing hardship. Those families are invited to visit the FSN during the three-day stock-up period to get supplies.

These vulnerable families are further invited to contact the FSN at 284-499-0999 or 284-542-2085.

Following the three days of limited and managed curfew — which ends at 6 pm on Saturday, April 4 — the territory will enter 14 days of 24-hour lockdown.



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29 Comments

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  1. Heart issues says:

    What about exercise? Some of us have to exercise because of our conditions and the doctors have told us so. What are we to do if we live in small apartments with no yard? It is unhealthy to keep people in for three weeks. I have been to told to walk for half an hour a day every other day at a minimum. I am frightened of the consequences of not doing so as much as of coronavirus which has not been trasmitted person to person here anyway. Dr Vanterpool should advise gvt on this. Dr Smith would have understood.

    Like 10
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    • High blood pressure says:

      Risk of stroke and heart attacks if don’t keep exercercising.It’s hard enough to diet stuck in the apartment.This “cure” for coronavirus could end up being much worse for individuals and the health care system.Especially since there are no known cases of person-to-person transmission in the BVI, all cases caught it abroad.Why is there no doctor advsising on this?

      All other countries on lockdown allowing excersize is social distance is kept.One and a half hours a day in most countries that are on lockdown and we are on NONE.

      Like 8
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      • healthcare worker says:

        Not now they don’t follow the news.. Exercise can be done in your own yard on your porch.

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      • WTF??? says:

        Is this person seriously commenting on how difficult it is to keep on a diet while at their home? Would you like the Premier to come to your house/apartment to meal prep for you and show you which section of your living room might be suitable for jumping jacks? Tisk just embarrassing shame on you.

        Like 7
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    • :) says:

      You can do jumping jacks in your home. You can do a stationery run. You can do many different exercises in your home that have a better effect on your health than just walking. If you choose just to sit around because you cant go on the street then you are not serious about exercising. Go on YouTube or Google home exercise and stop being lazy.

      Like 15
      Dislike 5
    • Stop Complaining says:

      And the point of the restrictions are to prevent transmission of the Coronavirus. Get innovative and find ways for it to work at home. If you have heart conditions you are already at high risk if you contract the virus. Run in place, do jumping jacks, sit-ups…stop complaining.

      Like 10
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    • healthcare worker says:

      Walk around your house, use youtube and try to keep up,either way stay in your house

      Like 5
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    • Serious says:

      Jog in place for a half hour, you health depends on it.. GEEZ

      Like 4
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    • Exercise says:

      Really? You worry about exercise. The governments protocol is going to kill everyone. 3 days to shop with everyone congregating at the food stores together all at once. No one to enforce the rules of who could be out and who can’t. The whole basis of the quarantine today got shot in the heart as no one practiced any safe distancing. So please don’t worry about exercise. That’s the least of your problems. Worry about the people in charge that are killing you and hope that the Brits come to save you. Otherwise the Territory is doomed.

      Like 1
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    • Diane says:

      You can walk around your home for the recommended time. Improvise just for a while and make things safer for all.

  2. SamE says:

    Hon Mr Premier I would have loved to be able to reach you tonight but CCT is very uncooperative. Here is my situation and concerns:

    1) how will this work when my husband and I carry. different surnames and need to sign jointly at the banks, ii) would we be able then to both leave the house on the same day and time?

    2) Also who will hold our toddler and 7 year old, whilst we carry out our runs as you have stated no kids permitted on grocery runs, i.e. I guess one stay in the car with the kids whilst the other go in and do the shopping

    3) as time is crucial for a 14day shopping run as well as the window for being exposed somewhat runs parallel, I thought it would have been prudent to allow up to 2 persons in a household to shop, so we can be smart by covering different shops, i.e., I’d be at RTW whilst he is at OneMart or or another RTW location.

    4) Since we are not allowed to visit other family members or friends. I will need to walk with my toddler and 7 year old – any suggestions on that?

    5) It was a struggle the last 5 days of not being able to walk our Corso and we were forced to have here confined to her home which doesn’t have the room to walk herr as she routinely gets. She’s a bit more irritable and getting pudgy. She misses her morning and evening walks on the beach had to be kept on our balcony and were able to do their usual walks on the beach and another 14 days can be detrimental on her overall.

    6) Lastly, I think we have been generally good with the thrash besides the odor and signt of piled rubbish, though think it was unusual to see stacks of rubbish on my neighbors balcony but with that we now have rat intrusions which were evidenced by gnawed meshes/screens and droppings – I am not sure who’s to blame here as my neighbor too has the same issue. We have not seen rodents since Maria/Irma when it was a massive island wide issue and I am worried that the hoarding of thrash will bring about this. Was told to get poison but we have pets in the neighborhood and I don’t want to take any chances. The are covered trash bins but some of the strays come by and tilt over the bins and that’s additional work to have to go out and clean up. Therefore will like to know if something will be put in place from the sanitation/solid waste department or private companies will be given passes to ensure that something is done – our closest bin is about 10 mins by car.

    Thank you!

    Like 6
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    • healthcare worker says:

      Spray the outside of the garbage bags before putting them out improvised come on, and the kids will be just fine. all you are saying makes no sense like really. if in one week you get rats, oh please the rats were always there don’t blame it on the lockdown.

      Like 4
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  3. Be responsible says:

    You too. While some of your concerns are valid, the priority is your health and safety. People around the world are suffering and dying from the Coronavirus. Be thankful for the measures being taken in an effort to prevent the spread in the BVI. The time you took to present these on every news site was time you could take to iron them out yourself, not the government. The discomfort of the curfew will be more enjoyable than the discomfort you will cause you and your family and the community of you being deathly ill.

    Like 12
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  4. Spoiled food says:

    Stores been closed for 6 days. They been restocked with fresh produce & meats ?

  5. Crazy says:

    Unless you are wearing mask and gloves, you are all going to spread it while shopping! Govt should have told you to stock for 30 days like other governments. This a death sentence for some.
    3-6 ft apart is not enough.

    Like 2
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  6. No Lockdown says:

    Dump trucks with workers standing in back on the road in westend this morning.

  7. yes says:

    Terrible plan BVI govt.
    Shoppers flooding the markets, making the last 6 days of isolation pointless.
    You could have set up food delivery and trash removal.
    Instead you are increasing the risk of exposure, not well thought out.

    Like 13
    Dislike 1
  8. so says:

    Best of luck Saturday peeps

  9. now is the time to act says:

    Everyone in the BVI is lucky from this respect.
    You have only 3 known cases
    The Govt is invoking best practices learned by over 250 countries world wide and taking a serious approach. Not because it is easy, nor popular but because it has the highest likelihood of success.

    No it is not easy, it will be difficult but no where near as difficult as it is to burry our loved ones.

    It is possible that if everyone follows the law and takes all necessary precautions over the next three days, that in 2 weeks from now this could all be behind you.

    Because if you don’t the losses will be devastating.

    “Do what should should have done when you found out what you did do didn’t work”

    Be safe

    Like 1
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  10. Children says:

    Adults acting like children I am sure everyone listened to the Premier update and did the complete opposite of what he said.
    You guys need to have Police with batons and Sticks to enforce the measure. look at what is happening with Virus all over the world including places in the Caribbean do you want that to happen here. This is not a Joke thing it is a very serious matter, we all need to take heed before it is too late.

    Like 2
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  11. Shambles says:

    Left home 06:45, lines already too long and not moving at RiteWay and OneMart. Stopped at gas station to buy some foods and came home by 1 pm. Good luck for next two weeks people. What a shambles. Police have vehicles backed up 3 miles in each direction, checking IDs. Really? You couldn’t do that while people wait on line for several hours. Plan better than this.

  12. fools says:

    and now look what is happening…no social distancing…give people three days to get in crowds of lines to shop…come on. This is just the beginning…just wait. ppl if you don’t have to go out please don’t and if you have to shop wear a scarf if you can and distance please use your common sense.

  13. It's a joke says:

    What could have been a well managed and thought out curfew (people allowed to shop once every 3-4 days, by surname) has become a nightmare and likely undone any good the last 5 days has done. Shops filled with people, 4 hour queues as everyone panic buys for 14 days food. Am convinced not all A-I’s will get into a supermarket today, what then???

  14. MJ says:

    What a shambles, poorly thought out and poorly executed

  15. High says:

    Am H and couldn’t get into the supermarket ..p q and s was there

  16. Lance Stairs says:

    I don’t think anyone is thinking this through. What happens 14 days from now or 30 days or even 60 days? This virus will still be around. The BVI’s will still not have enough hospital beds and there will be no cure. However the economy will be ruined. The stores will have no food. Tourists will be gone. These closures are just political bull. I suggest you get face masks, a bunch of Purcell and open for business before you completely destroy the BVI’s

  17. Raffs says:

    Trust me people there’s no arguing with this virus, do your 14 days shop and accept the quarantine…this virus hitting Europe hard and it’s relentless, people are dying everywhere….please follow the advice, social distance from each other and keep your children in the house, it’s gonna be hard but it’s essential…good luck and God Bless the BVI

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