Government House says $6.9 million in premium pay was processed for 3,974 essential workers

Government House said on August 29, 2022, that the Office of Management and Budget and the Department of Finance had reviewed and processed 3,974 premium-pay payments for eligible essential workers totaling $6,910,750.

Communications Director Richard Motta Jr. said during the weekly briefing that the government had finished reviewing and distributing that round of premium pay to eligible employees. He said OMB was continuing to review applications for premium pay across business sectors and approve funds for the Department of Finance to distribute.

Government House also said Lt. Gov. Tregenza A. Roach was in Washington on August 29, 2022, with St. John property owners meeting with U.S. Department of the Interior officials about access to properties within Virgin Islands National Park.

The administration announced a community business forum for September 8, 2022, at the University of the Virgin Islands Great Hall on St. Croix ahead of the cruise season.

VITEMA said it was monitoring Tropical Disturbance Invest 91L, which was forecast to pass northeast of St. John on September 2 or September 3, 2022. The agency also said sandbag distribution under Operation Blue Skies was continuing through September 17, 2022.

Other updates in the briefing included Emergency Rental Assistance Program pop-up events scheduled for August 30 and August 31, 2022, a Division of Personnel career expo set for August 31, 2022, on St. Croix, and a Department of Health report that no monkeypox cases had been confirmed in the territory.

The Health Department said on August 29, 2022, that the territory was tracking 239 active COVID-19 cases and that 11 patients were hospitalized between Gov. Juan F. Luis Hospital on St. Croix and Schneider Regional Medical Center on St. Thomas.

Official source: https://www.vi.gov/bryan-roach-administration-pays-out-7-million-in-premium-pay/