Restrictions Eased for Travelers into the Territory
Though the passing this week of the 100-person mark for COVID-19 related deaths is a “sobering reminder of the threat” the virus poses to the community, the decrease in the number of active cases after the recent variant surge has enabled an easing of restrictions for travel into the territory, according to Lieutenant Gov. Tregenza Roach.
2022-02-02 12:28:31 - VI News Staff
During Monday’s Government House press briefing, Roach announced that travelers into the territory will no longer have to produce a negative COVID-19 test taken 72 hours prior to departure. Instead, negative test results can date back five days, or travelers can produce proof of being vaccinated within the territory, Roach said.
According to officials, the Health Department is currently tracking 473 active cases (303 on St. Croix, 145 on St. Thomas, and 25 on St. John,) with 14,903 individuals testing positive overall and 312,703 tests administered since the start of the pandemic. Gov. Juan F. Luis Hospital reported 12 COVID-19 positive admissions, with two vented, while Schneider Regional Medical Center reported eight, with two vented.
Roach said the best shot against infection continues to be the COVID-19 vaccine, though vaccination rates among young people ages 5-15 are low, at 23 percent of those eligible. It’s a good start, he said, but “nowhere near” where the numbers should be, particularly as students have returned to in-person learning within the territory’s public schools.
To encourage a boost, Roach announced a second $250 gift card giveaway for children ages 5-17, which began on Jan. 31 and runs through March 11. Those in the age category who receive the second dose of either the Pfizer or Moderna vaccines by March 11 will receive their card at the time the second dose is administered, he explained. Children who have only received the first dose by that deadline are not eligible.