Bryan said Virgin Islands may require airport COVID-19 testing as cases rise

Gov. Albert Bryan Jr. said during a press briefing on Dec. 7, 2020, that the U.S. Virgin Islands was experiencing an increase in COVID-19 cases and that additional restrictions could be imposed in the coming weeks, including mandatory testing at airports for travelers arriving without a negative test result.

Bryan said travelers who arrived without a negative test would be required to be tested at their own expense, and those who refused testing would face a fine and a 14-day quarantine. He said implementation depended on the availability of tests and testing capacity, as well as software changes.

At the briefing, Bryan urged residents to reduce holiday gatherings, follow Health Department guidance on masks and distancing, and avoid non-essential travel.

Health Department Medical Director Dr. Tai Hunte-Ceasar also discussed the expected release of COVID-19 vaccines and said the vaccines had undergone extensive vetting and testing.

The administration reported that 1,356 people had been tested since Nov. 30, with 105 positive results, or just above a 7% positivity rate. It said the territory was tracking 109 active cases. Since the start of the pandemic, 29,754 people had been tested, 1,649 tests had returned positive, 1,517 people had recovered and 23 people had died. One COVID-19 patient was hospitalized at Schneider Regional Medical Center on St. Thomas, and no COVID-19 patients were on ventilators at Juan F. Luis Hospital on St. Croix.

Bryan also discussed a Senate hearing scheduled for Dec. 8, 2020, on his proposal to refinance Virgin Islands government debt at a lower interest rate and direct savings from the transaction to the Government Employees' Retirement System. He said the proposal would lower annual debt payments and help address an expected reduction in retiree benefits at the start of 2021.

The administration also said the latest round of income tax refunds totaled more than $15 million, including refunds for 2018 returns. It said $5 million had been distributed during the previous week to 1,100 tax filers.

The Virgin Islands Department of Labor had issued 47,724 unemployment insurance checks totaling more than $37.9 million, along with 28,338 Federal Pandemic Unemployment Compensation checks totaling $44.4 million, according to the administration. It also said 5,111 Pandemic Unemployment Assistance checks totaling about $8.4 million and $3.1 million in Pandemic Emergency Unemployment Compensation had been issued since March.

Official source: https://www.vi.gov/governor-bryan-addresses-spike-in-territorys-covid-19-cases-securitization-senate-hearing-at-weekly-press-briefing/