Bryan said beaches would remain open for July 4 weekend, urged masking

Gov. Albert Bryan Jr. said during a weekly COVID-19 update on June 29, 2020, that he was not planning to close beaches for the July 4 holiday weekend, while urging residents to wear masks if they gathered at beaches or elsewhere.

Bryan said the territory had four active COVID-19 cases and that half of the cases identified outside the food-service industry involved travelers. He also said the U.S. Virgin Islands had recorded a 20% increase in cases from May and that 50% of people who contracted the virus had been associated with the food-service industry.

He said bars and restaurants were among the most vulnerable settings because patrons do not wear masks there, and he urged food-service workers to keep masks on and wash their hands frequently.

Bryan also asked parents, students and teachers to complete a Virgin Islands Department of Education survey on reopening schools for the 2020-21 academic year. The department was considering in-person instruction, online learning, or a combination of the two, according to the update.

Government House said the Department of Finance had issued 31,761 CARES Act stimulus checks totaling $51.6 million. The Department of Labor had received 11,075 unemployment-benefit applications and processed 8,222 of them. As of June 25, 2020, the department had issued 17,800 unemployment insurance checks totaling more than $13.4 million and 13,090 Federal Pandemic Unemployment Compensation checks totaling $22.2 million.

The government reported 2,863 people had been tested for COVID-19, with 2,778 negative results, 81 positive results, four pending tests and six deaths. No COVID-19 patients were hospitalized at Juan F. Luis Hospital on St. Croix, and one patient who had recovered from the virus remained hospitalized at Schneider Regional Medical Center on St. Thomas.

Official source: https://www.vi.gov/governor-bryan-warns-residents-to-mask-up-for-long-fourth-of-july-weekend/