Government House urged smaller holiday gatherings as Virgin Islands tracked 40 active COVID-19 cases

Government House used its weekly press briefing on Nov. 16, 2020, to urge Virgin Islands residents to keep holiday gatherings small and follow Health Department guidance as travel increased during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Communications Director Richard Motta Jr. said residents should limit holiday gatherings to members of their immediate household or no more than 10 people if possible. Territorial Epidemiologist Esther Ellis said gatherings should be held outdoors when possible, or in well-ventilated spaces, with tables and chairs arranged for social distancing. She also advised having guests wash their hands before eating, limiting the number of people handling serving utensils and condiments, and reducing traffic in kitchen and grill areas.

At the briefing, officials said the territory was tracking 40 active COVID-19 cases. They reported 26,110 people had been tested, with 24,635 negative results and 1,434 positive results. Officials said 1,370 people had recovered and 23 had died. No COVID-19 patients were hospitalized at Juan F. Luis Hospital on St. Croix, and one patient was hospitalized at Schneider Regional Medical Center on St. Thomas.

Officials also said the Virgin Islands Department of Labor had received 16,952 unemployment applications as of Nov. 15 and processed 15,801. The department had issued 79,691 checks totaling $89,020,101 across unemployment programs, according to the briefing.

The Bureau of Internal Revenue and the Department of Finance began issuing another round of CARES Act stimulus payments on Nov. 10, with 2,923 checks totaling $4 million, officials said. They said $82,602,604 in CARES payments had been processed for 50,636 recipients, and the deadline to file a 2018 income tax return or Form 1040 to qualify for a stimulus check had been extended to Nov. 21.

Division of Personnel Director Dayna Clendinen said government retirees would be transitioned to the Group Medicare Advantage Plan beginning Jan. 1, 2021, and should receive new United Healthcare Advantage cards during the first week of December. She also said mailings about an AARP Medicare Supplement Plan could be disregarded unless the recipient had an individual AARP health plan.

The Department of Education had distributed 997 laptops in the St. Croix District and 670 in the St. Thomas-St. John District, according to the briefing.

Official source: https://www.vi.gov/governor-bryan-asks-residents-to-gather-safely-and-responsibly-for-the-holidays/