Two police stations close as cops among 16 new cases recorded in BVI this weekend
The public must refrain from physically going to this police station. They must, instead, dial 311 to file a police report or 911 for an emergency. The public must refrain from physically going to this police station. They must, instead, dial 311 to file a police report or 911 for an emergency. Minister of Health & Social Development Carvin Malone. Governor Augustus Jaspert
Two local police stations have been ordered ‘temporarily closed’ as “a small number of officers” from those stations are among the 16 new COVID-19 cases that were tested and confirmed between Friday, August 28 and Saturday.
These bring the total number of active cases in the territory to 47 and the overall number of positive cases to 38.
This news was unceremoniously announced Sunday morning in a joint written statement from Health Minister Carvin Malone and Governor Augustus Jaspert, who has portfolio responsibility for the Royal Virgin Islands Police Force (RVIPF).
The affected RVIPF facilities are the East End/Long Look Police Station and the Road Town Police Station on Tortola.
The stations will be temporarily closed for deep cleaning and disinfection “in order to minimise risk”.
“However, other police resources have been put in place to ensure adequate coverage to protect those communities, enforce the curfew, and maintain general law and order,” the statement read.
Officers removed from service
Meanwhile, the officers who tested positive have since been removed from service and will remain in isolation until fully recovered.
“All members of their households and other close contacts, including other police officers, are being quarantined and tested. Out of an abundance of caution, all remaining police officers are being given priority for COVID-19 testing,” the statement continued.
“There is a likelihood of further transmission of COVID-19 in the territory, and frontline workers have a heightened risk of exposure. Therefore, periodic testing of staff across health, police, and other frontline agencies is ongoing, and all measures are being implemented to reduce the exposure risk,” Minister Malone and Governor Jaspert further said.
Avoid going to these facilities
They said members of the public are, therefore, advised to avoid going to these facilities in person “unless there is an emergency”.
The public is further advised to call ahead before visiting any healthcare facility. They are asked to dial ‘911’ for all emergencies and ‘311’ to reach the RVIPF’s 24-hour non-emergency contact number.
In the meantime, persons who believe they may have been exposed to COVID-19 or are experiencing symptoms such as fever, cough, headache, fatigue, loss of taste or smell, sore throat, muscle aches or difficulty breathing are encouraged to contact the territory’s medical hotline at 284-852-7650 to schedule an appointment for testing.
“As contact tracing continues, we are confident that, with your cooperation, we can bring this situation under control in a short time. As such, all persons in the Territory should remain vigilant; follow the health and safety measures, stay at home and limit social interaction with anyone outside your household to reduce exposure,” the statement read.
It added: “If you must go out to work or to access essential services, practice safety precautions when returning home in order to protect other members of your household, particularly those at higher risk of severe illness, such as seniors and persons with chronic conditions or weakened immune systems.”
As a result of the clusters of COVID-19 that have developed in sections of the territory, a two-week curfew has been implemented and will run between 5 pm and 5 am daily.
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This thing seems to be getting out of control from zero to 8 to 42 what next 100 before the week is done maths 16 x 2 =32 x 2=64 we over the mark
when did we get to 42 active cases???
how did police get this? were they not wearing their mandatory PPE either Ron the job or off? Not practicing social distancing? not practicing personal hygiene??
This is terrible I hope all recover quickly but maybe this is the wake up call we all needed to take this seriously.
Everyone must follow the guidelines at all times!!!!!
Please send in the UK marines..this has gone one far too long!
Cases will go up a lot
These people will have had contact with a lot of people I would expect in the next week a big rise in Covid numbers
Very sad, then again, maybe we have the evidence we need..
Wishing them a quick recovery
This is getting worse by the minute. They should have locked down the place from since case #12 was discovered, but they don’t value the lives of the people…instead the put 5am-5pm curfew as if the virus does not exist during those hours only after sunset SMDH. They were fighting the governor …guess they will wait until it get out of hand and everybody is infected before they take this thing serious. Wonder if the regret not taking help from the UK ship
The people that were arrested could’ve gotten it from the police and are now spreading it at her majesty’s prison…..cocoa bay pun top ah yaws
How come the premier didn’t come on with the governor and the health minister, is he still vex with them?
Covid19 has been active up the prison for sometime. Just another of the BVI’s dirty little secrets.
Not shocked most of the police I see don’t wear them or have them right below their nose etc… Those nitwits were bound to get it……
I wonder if this disease will help a lot of married people identify who their significant others side thing is when they start contact tracing….LOL!!!!!!!!
No one wants to give fahie any credit for the job they have done so far. If it was not for the government tola would be in a lot worse position. Check all of them who want to pressure the government to open up for the businesses.
You don’t need the U.K. or the Royal Marines. You need to wallow in your own misery with your Cuban doctors. You hate the U.K. Your Premier hates the U.K. and the Governor. Watch what happens to you as the cases grow. Now at 50 by Wednesday you’ll be at 200. By next weekend at least a thousand. Locking down is not the answer. This has been proven worldwide but the Premier is smarter than everyone anywhere. He be the educated black man..o. Sorry for all the expats in the Territory that have to endure and be told what to do by this … Stay safe everyone
Here’s wishing all the affected persons a speedy recovery.
I am very concerned though, and wondering if we are effectively reaching the people with the message about safe distancing, hand washing, wearing masks, etc. Yes, the message is being disseminated via social media and radio, but what about those who do not have electronic devices and radios? What about those who do not speak English and Spanish?
For a country with over 123 different nationalities maybe we need to do more. Take out those old-fashioned megaphones and go through the villages! PR people, let your voices be heard on the highways and by-ways. Get the message across.
This is serious guys! Covid-19 is not playing with us and we can’t afford to play with it.
Our very lives are at stake.
Our own people did this to us while we were busy blaming “island people’
This is what y’all wanted. Freedom fighter Cindy and Chief Opposing Officer Marlon. Open Borders, eliminate curfew then as soon as the numbers flare up hold press conference talking a bunch of phuck.
Lock down? Listen friends. The BVI cannot stay locked down until a COVID cure is found. IT CANNOT. Everyone needs to learn to live WITH this thing. Follow the protocol put in place for keeping yourself safe. If you are afraid . . . then act like you are afraid and follow the protocol without fail. Just Do It!!
What goes on in the darkness will now be revealed. You cheaters have exposed your wife/husband and children to the risk of catching the virus. So tell me cheaters, was it worth the risk for a few minutes of fun? LMAO.
Everyone is shocked that an airborne virus has infected multiple people and that cases are up since testing has been ramped up by the hundreds.
How you really think they going trace that smh.
People not going to say a word.
Newsflash, we have been learning to live with Covid and we failed the test. We still have idiots wearing the mask under their nose as of 30th August, 2020. People still under your @$$ in supermarkets instead of patiently waiting 6ft away. Restaurants were still allowing patrons to be inside without mask. Trust companies holding parties and meetings with everybody standing shoulder to shoulder from the manager to the messenger.
Nobody cares as long as nobody they know have it or dies. Government should share some of the blame too because up to now we haven’t heard anybody getting fined or shut down besides the foreign airline. They have to send a strong message to show that they are serious. Get some people in these business places to do real inspections. Opening up the border and ending the curfew with these idiots would like leaving your children at home alone and expecting them to act like adults.
Thank you Fahie, for your p**s poor leadership. Instead of accepting all hands on board for border security, you prevent assistance from the UK navy. There are already here, willing and able to help, but you choose to be f****sh by conflating colonial wrongs with national security.
The colonial wrongs has nothing to do with our border and national security.Monies that are well needed to help support the now mass unemployed, you spending on barge, consultancy contracts, building of a church (when there’s already so many), creating f**e paid positions for your cronies…etc. I should not have split up my votes them. A vote for anything green is a vote for Fahie and his nonsense.
Lock the country down but implement a no work no pay policy including Civil Servants. Everyone share in the sacrifice..We need to relax. We have a problem but it’s not a death sentence. No one will die….
They all want to come here anyway
@No one will die.
Someone already died and may God bless her soul. Up to now not a word on that investigation. Stay tuned as that is not done with.
24 hr Lockdowns as you come back out and are still faced with the same virus problem. Continue with the contact tracing and testing, night time curfew, limit large gatherings, ask the vulnerable to restrict their movements, enforce protocols by doing random inspections of businesses, increase surveillance of our maritime borders, education on how to build up our immune systems, reinforce our health care system. Open up the borders with the safety protocols in place as that we can control and mitigate the risk of more cases. Maybe some of these smugglers will no longer need to smuggle.
..at those that think those cloth masks and masks that do not fit snug to the face are saving them from anything other than mosquitos going in their mouths!! 90% of the masks being worn DO NOT protect against any virus! So the issue is not about people not wearing masks, its about people who do not understand that when it comes to airborne viruses the key is to protect the vulnerable and boost the immune system to fight it. You CANNOT hide indoors from this virus or wear stupid cloth and other non-medical grade masks and expect to keep it away. It is just a false sense of security. Let us bet that quite a few positive cases are persons who wore masks, distanced etc and have no symptoms.
We already know why the woman died so do not blame COVID. May she RIP but the poster is right it is not a death sentence. Funny we all pretend to care about health. We know that we shouldnt be eating fried foods late night and consuming too much liquor but we still do knowing it can kill us but a virus now all of a sudden we care about health? People are still living unhealthy lives but think a mask and sanitizer will help them to beat death?
Yawn, add mouth champion Shaina to the list of those asking for boarder reopening. She mad. Up to today a group of them on radio talking about BVI Nationality status instead of addressing the problem the BVI is currently experiencing and admonishing the populous to adhere to the protective guidelines to contain the spread of the Covid 19 infection. So sad. How and what are they thinking?
@no one will die
The point is that it is alleged that a neglectful health care system led to her death. I agree wholeheartedly that it is not a death sentence as the 97% survival rate suggests however our health care workers must be ready for when the situation comes. Adding the Cuban doctors I maintain is a good start and hopefully they will pass on the knowledge and experience in handling this pandemic. Beef up the health care system. 12 million was allocated for that.
Building up your immune system is crucial so I agree that these masks are just a false sense of security. Even some Doctors who should know better are not talking about the need to build up your immune system,why?
https://youtu.be/8ZCpiv97grY
Police on VG STILL RIDING AROUND WITHOUT MASK. THEY MUST HAVE BEEN VACCINATED?
Please this must be a joke y is the police back open already 2 weeks ain’t gone yet and u all clean it with what yea right with what u all have a Corona killer ? For the police affected station but not for the island the island is basically lock down but the police station name by u as a affected area is open back . I also want to know y the testing and counting of people test positive important and they is no cure no treatment listed for this virus who are u all fooling . This is not right no matter how u look at it something not right stop playing with us all cops need stay away from us to stop the spread. U all to a focus on the wrong set of people moving around. BVI Be strong or leader are fearful and can not be loaded by the most high for they move in haste and are not waiting on lord to direct they decision. But I say wait on lord for he shall direct our part . It was written to make a law for equal rights and justice to all . God complex is upon the land and we shall be divided and we will fall . But if we humble our self’s and turn from our witched ways we shall live and live well . Be of good courage BVI we must speak up and out .