USVI said it was preparing child tax credit payments as officials offered assistance to BVI during COVID-19 surge

Government House said on July 12, 2021, that Gov. Albert Bryan Jr. had been in contact with British Virgin Islands Premier Andrew Fahie as the neighboring territory faced a surge in COVID-19 cases, and that U.S. Virgin Islands officials were considering how to assist.

At a weekly briefing, Communications Director Richard Motta Jr. said Bryan and Lt. Gov. Tregenza A. Roach were extending prayers to BVI residents. Health Commissioner Justa Encarnacion said she had also been in contact with BVI Health Minister Carvin Malone.

Motta said the Virgin Islands Bureau of Internal Revenue was preparing to begin distributing child tax credit payments to eligible residents, with issuance scheduled to start on July 15, 2021, pending the release of funds from the U.S. Treasury.

He said the bureau would hold workshops from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. on July 17, 2021, for residents who had not yet filed 2019 tax returns so they could qualify for the credit.

Government House also said the Bureau of Internal Revenue and the Department of Finance were mailing 3,724 income tax refunds totaling $10 million. According to the briefing, the batch covered most tax year 2018 refunds and some recently filed 2016 and 2017 returns.

Officials said the first drawings in the territory's Vax-to-Win lottery had been held on July 9, 2021, with winners to be announced on July 19, 2021. Government House reported that, as of July 10, 2021, the territory had administered 45,206 first vaccine doses and 37,466 people were fully vaccinated.

The government reported 122 active COVID-19 cases as of July 10, 2021, including 54 on St. Croix, 67 on St. Thomas and one on St. John. It said there had been 32 fatalities, with two COVID-19 patients hospitalized at Juan F. Luis Medical Center and seven at Schneider Regional Medical Center.

Official source: https://www.vi.gov/governor-bryan-lt-governor-roach-extend-prayers-to-bvi-as-it-struggles-with-covid-surge/