Bryan announced 54th Covid-19 death and $1 million crime-tip reward fund

Gov. Albert Bryan Jr. said on August 30, 2021, that the U.S. Virgin Islands had recorded its 54th Covid-19 death, a 61-year-old St. Thomas woman.

At a Government House press briefing, Bryan also said public schools would resume in-person instruction on September 7, 2021, for prekindergarten through third grade students, C-TEC students and special education students. Students in fourth through 12th grades were to continue virtual learning.

Bryan said the government had set aside $1 million for rewards tied to violent-crime tips. He said a $50,000 reward would be offered for information leading to the arrest of a homicide suspect and a $25,000 reward for information leading to the arrest of an armed robbery suspect.

He also said the Bureau of Internal Revenue and the Finance Department planned to issue about $10 million in past-due income-tax refunds during the week of August 30, 2021. He said the payments were expected to cover pending 2018 returns, returns from years before 2018 and 2019 returns filed during the first two months of 2020.

Bryan said winners in the August 20 Vax-to-Win lottery drawings were Jarell O’Connor on St. Croix and Segunda Freylinger in the St. Thomas-St. John District.

Government House said that as of August 28, 2021, the territory was tracking 269 active Covid-19 cases, including 101 on St. Croix, 152 on St. Thomas and 16 on St. John. It reported a seven-day positivity rate of 2.76%, 15 hospitalized Covid-19 patients territorywide and 54 fatalities.

Official source: https://www.vi.gov/governor-bryan-announces-54th-covid-death/