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The V.I. Dept. of Health reported two additional cases of Covid-19 in the USVI on Wednesday night, bringing the territorial total to 92. According to the department's latest infographic, the two cases were split between St. Thomas and St. Croix, with the St. Thomas case under investigation by D.O.H. as of Wednesday night, and the St. Croix case being confirmed as community spread.
D.O.H. said 3,055 Covid-19 tests were performed as of Wednesday, with 2,924 returning negative and 92 positive. The department said it was only tracking 11 cases as of Wednesday — the same amount of individuals prior to the two new confirmed cases reported last night — which means D.O.H. now considers two additional individuals recovered, for a total of 75 recoveries.
Six people have died from the virus in the territory, with one hospitalization at the Juan F. Luis Hospital and Medical Center as of Monday, according to Governor Albert Bryan.
Mr. Bryan told the Consortium Wednesday that he will announce during a press briefing today curtailed beach hours, along with early closure of bars. 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.
