Bryan said $75 million in CARES Act funds would support utility, ferry and transportation aid

Gov. Albert Bryan Jr. said on April 22, 2020, that the Virgin Islands had received $75 million in federal CARES Act funding that would be used to subsidize Virgin Islands Water and Power Authority customers, assist St. Thomas-St. John passenger ferry operators and provide transportation assistance for elderly and disabled residents.

Speaking at a COVID-19 press conference, Bryan also said the Virgin Islands National Guard’s Regional Training Institute in Estate Bethlehem on St. Croix was being adapted as a quarantine facility for COVID-19 patients, and he announced a rent freeze effective for the duration of the state of emergency.

According to figures provided at the briefing, 688 people had been tested for COVID-19 in the territory as of April 22. Of those, 583 tested negative, 54 tested positive and 51 results were pending. Bryan said 48 people had recovered, three had died and the Health Department was tracking three active cases.

Bryan said Schneider Regional Medical Center on St. Thomas had completed the first phase of its COVID-19 wing, adding capacity for 20 acute-care beds for infected patients. He also said additional ventilators were on order and the territory was increasing its stockpile of personal protective equipment, including overalls, face shields, 60,000 regular masks and 50,000 N-95 masks.

He said the CARES Act money would provide WAPA subsidies of $250 for individuals and $500 for businesses. The funds also were to support a transit subsidy for St. Thomas-St. John passenger ferries.

Under the rent freeze, landlords of occupied apartments could not raise rent during the state of emergency, even if a lease had expired. Bryan said the emergency order did not stop landlords from pursuing eviction proceedings, but tenants could not be removed before the emergency ended.

Bryan said the state of emergency was set to run through May 12, 2020, and that legislation was being prepared to seek Senate authorization to extend it to June 12. He also said no hotel reservations would be allowed until at least May 15, 2020.

At the same briefing, Col. Dan Hibner of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers discussed the St. Croix quarantine facility, and Education Commissioner Racquel Berry-Benjamin said the Board of Education had suspended retention and promotion policies for the 2019-2020 school year.

Official source: https://www.vi.gov/governor-bryan-updates-residents-on-covid-19-2/