Bryan said beaches would reopen April 20 as U.S. Virgin Islands reported 51 COVID-19 cases

Gov. Albert Bryan Jr. said during an April 17 COVID-19 briefing at Government House in Christiansted that he planned to reopen beaches across the U.S. Virgin Islands on April 20, while keeping in place limits on gatherings of more than 10 people.

Bryan said beachgoers should maintain social and physical distancing and keep space between families. He also said beach bars and restaurants would remain closed and warned that beaches could be closed again if residents did not self-regulate.

He said water-quality testing results would not be available until later in the following week and that people entering the water would do so at their own risk.

The governor also offered condolences for a 72-year-old St. Thomas woman who became the territory’s second COVID-19 death. He said she had underlying health conditions and contracted the virus through community spread.

As of the morning of April 17, the territory had tested 458 people for COVID-19, with 373 negative results, 51 positive results and 34 pending tests, according to the briefing. Of the positive cases, 46 people had recovered, two had died and the Health Department was tracking three active cases.

Bryan also said the administration was considering either reopening VITRAN service or contracting with private taxi companies to help elderly and disabled residents who had reported difficulty finding transportation for daily errands.

During the briefing, Bryan also asked residents to report information about a recent spate of violent crime on St. Thomas to law enforcement or Crime Stoppers.

Official source: https://www.vi.gov/governor-bryan-plans-to-reopen-beaches-on-monday-2/