Bryan eased some COVID-19 restrictions during Virgin Islands' safer-at-home phase

Gov. Albert Bryan Jr. said during a May 7, 2020, COVID-19 briefing that the Virgin Islands was easing some restrictions under its "Safer at Home" phase, allowing hotels to take reservations for residents and business travel and permitting dive shops, day sails and excursions to operate under the same conditions as other nonessential businesses that had already reopened.

The administration said stimulus checks would begin rolling out the following week to residents who filed 2018 tax returns in the Virgin Islands, with payments to be issued by check.

On masks, the government said business owners should use judgment when dealing with customers who could not wear masks because of respiratory issues, and said masks covering the entire head or more than the bridge of the nose were prohibited.

The Labor Department had received 7,727 unemployment applications as of May 7, including 3,000 paper applications and 4,727 online applications, according to the briefing. The department had processed 3,100 checks totaling $2.1 million in unemployment benefits.

The government said the territory was tracking seven active COVID-19 cases as of May 7. It reported 1,112 tests conducted, including 1,006 negative results, 66 positive results and 40 pending tests, along with four fatalities.

Two COVID-19 patients were hospitalized at Juan F. Luis Hospital on St. Croix, including one on a ventilator, and no patients were hospitalized at Schneider Regional Medical Center on St. Thomas, according to the briefing.

Official source: https://www.vi.gov/governor-bryan-eases-some-restrictions-during-safer-at-home-phase-on-path-to-new-normal/