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Governor Albert Bryan had limited his coronavirus response updates to Mondays, but with the recent surge in cases in the territory — six new cases were reported Tuesday by the V.I. Dept. of Health — the territory's leader will host a press briefing on Thursday at 1:00 p.m., where he will announce a number of measures aimed at curbing the spike of the virus in the U.S. Virgin Islands. The Consortium will carry the press event live.
Five of the six cases announced on Tuesday were recorded on St. Croix, and one in St. Thomas. Of the five cases on St. Croix, one was transmitted through close contact, two were travel-related, and two were under investigation by the Dept. of Health as of Tuesday night.
The sole case on St. Thomas was travel-related. Health officials are now tracking 11 active cases.
According to the governor, a coronavirus patient was receiving treatment at the Juan F. Luis Hospital as of Monday.
The Dept. of Health said 2,972 tests were performed as of Tuesday, with 2,876 testing negative and 90 positive. The virus has killed six individuals in the territory, including a father, mother and son.
Mr. Bryan told the Consortium Wednesday that beach hours will be curtailed and bars will be closed early. The governor also said new measures will be announced for the Limetree Bay facility on the south shore of St. Croix, where it is rumored — but not confirmed by health officials — that a number of coronavirus cases stem from. A request for comment from Health Commissioner Justa Encarnacion was not immediately returned.
It was not clear whether the governor would announce more stringent rules for the airports. He has said there's a careful balancing act between protecting residents from the virulent disease and keeping the economy operating, adding that implementing a mandatory 14-day quarantine would discourage leisure travelers from visiting the territory. The USVI is still in its "Open Doors" phase, which cleared the way for hotels to receive leisure guests.
Neighboring Puerto Rico has announced strict new rules for all passengers flying into the island commonwealth in a bid to curb coronavirus cases as officials blame recent outbreaks on those who flew to the U.S. territory and were infected. Some states have taken similar action, and New York, which had planned on resuming indoor dining next week, has walked back the rollout.
Miami Beach said that it would reinstate a nightly curfew beginning Thursday at 12:30 a.m., extending until 5 a.m., to try to curb the spread. And California shut down bars and halted indoor dining at restaurants in 19 counties that are home to more than 70 percent of the state’s population, according to the New York Times.
Also in California, Gov. Gavin Newsom announced that he was closing down bars and indoor dining in 19 counties in California, pulling back reopening for more than 70 percent of the population in the state. He also ordered closed indoor operations in wineries and tasting rooms, zoos, museums and card rooms. The closures, he said, would remain in place for at least three weeks, according to the Times.
