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While the Bryan administration could soon reintroduce Covid-induced restrictions aimed at taming the rising numbers of Covid-19 in the territory, which topped 300 Thursday, Governor Albert Bryan told the Consortium Friday that a decision had not been made.
The governor said during a recent press briefing that restrictions would come if cases were to top 300, though he was wary of providing a set number because considerations for such actions involve many elements.
The governor said during a July 26 press briefing that a high number of hospitalizations, not just the rising Covid cases, would lead to restrictions if they persisted. When hospitalizations were at twenty territory-wide, Mr. Bryan said, "If that number doesn't go down we are already making contingency plans on what we'll have to do if we have to do another shutdown because that's just unacceptable. If you look at our numbers, the Delta [variant] has just doubled everything."
Though Mr. Bryan didn't say what another shutdown would look like, residents could possibly be looking at a beach curfew and reduction in capacity at a range of facilities, including faith-based institutions, restaurants, bars and nightclubs. The governor on Monday said the Covid-19 Task Force has been more active in enforcing rules as the administration abandons a lax approach for a more active role.
As of Thursday, there were 318 active Covid-19 cases territory-wide according to the V.I. Dept. of Health: 204 on St. Thomas, followed by St. Croix with 101, and St. John with thirteen.
The Delta variant of Covid-19 — also known as B.1.617.2 — is now the dominant strain in the U.S. and has been driving up cases where vaccination rates are lower.
First identified in late 2020 in India, the strain has spread to at least 85 countries and has itself mutated to produce a further version that is causing concern in India, according to the World Health Organization (Via the Wall Street Journal).
