Health Department reported rise in COVID-19 cases among children in U.S. Virgin Islands

The Virgin Islands Department of Health said on September 27, 2021, that it was tracking a consistently high number of positive COVID-19 cases among children and young adults, particularly in the St. Croix district.

Territorial Epidemiologist Dr. Esther Ellis said the largest share of positive cases during the previous week was in the 0-17 age group and that the median age of all positive cases in the territory was 27.5 years. She said outbreaks at day-care centers and among school-age children were being attributed mostly to household exposure to confirmed cases.

The department said booster doses of the Pfizer vaccine had been available since September 27 for immunocompromised people, people 65 and older, and health-care or long-term-care workers. It said broader booster shots for certain fully vaccinated people with a doctor’s note or prescription would begin at community vaccination centers on October 4.

The department also said it would begin distributing $250 gift cards on September 28 to people who received a one-dose vaccine or completed a two-dose vaccine series between August 9 and September 30.

As of September 25, the territory reported a seven-day positivity rate of 3.58% and 190 active cases, including 139 on St. Croix, 46 on St. Thomas and five on St. John. The department said 6,631 people had tested positive to date, 6,372 had recovered and 71 had died. It reported three COVID-19 patients hospitalized at Juan F. Luis Hospital on St. Croix, including one on a ventilator, and two hospitalized at Schneider Regional Medical Center on St. Thomas, including one on a ventilator.

Official source: https://www.vi.gov/department-of-health-tracking-high-number-of-positive-covid-19-cases-among-children/