BVI COVID SPIKE

With a sudden upsurge in COVID-19 cases, the British Virgin Islands is now under a 7pm and 5am curfew in a bid to contain a community spread.

In a national address, Premier Andrew Fahie reported that within a short span of less than a month the BVI COVID-19 cases have skyrocketed from no new cases in May to sharp upswings reaching a daily peak of 365 reported on July 9th.

The recent spike has pushed the territory's total COVID-19 cases to over 800 hundred COVID-19 cases to date, with the total doubling across just one day.

Three people have died since the pandemic started last year.

Premier Fahie blames the current rapid spread - which has occurred since the BVI recently opening its borders - on some people not adhering to the territory’s COVID protocols.

“Can I tell you that there are persons who have tested positive and they are refusing to cooperate with the contact tracing team?” he stated.

“There are persons who know or suspect that they have been exposed who do not want to present themselves for testing because they do not want to have to self-isolate or quarantine?”

According to Mr Fahie, “I believe that many of us had the notion that when the borders reopened that the protocols were only for those coming in through the controlled process. So we became complacent rather than vigilant, forgetting that COVID-19 never left as persons could have still been walking around asymptomatic. We got too comfortable.”

Another challenge confronting the BVI in its fight to contain the virus is vaccine hesitancy, the Premier observed.

“We continue to hear persons arguing about vaccines, even as the infections come closer to home and the deaths increase. There are debates about persons’ rights.”

But he cautioned that while vaccination remains voluntary as a personal decision, there was wider community responsibility to consider.

“Simply put, there is no magic to how we get this current situation turnaround other than through prayers, adhering to all approved health protocols,” Premier Fahie said.