Coronavirus

USVI Will be Among Last Jurisdictions to Lift Mask Mandate, Bryan Says

While a growing list of states have adjusted their mask mandates to reflect the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's decision to ease restrictions for vaccinated people, Governor Albert Bryan said Monday that not only will the U.S. Virgin Islands' mask mandate remain in place, the territory will be among the last jurisdictions to lift its current No Mask, No Service policy. Mr. Bryan pointed to what he said was the CDC's lack of guidance relative to how local and state governments should distinguish between persons who are vaccinated and those who are not. And he said more Virgin Islanders must be vaccinated — even beyond the governor's goal of 50,000 complete vaccinations by July — before lifting the current protocol. "Removing the masking requirements and simply relying on the honor policy at this point is not something we think will protect our community against the spread of the virus," Mr. Bryan said. He added that the majority of people "that call this territory home......