GOVERNMENT SAYS IT WILL DOLE OUT ANOTHER ROUND OF INCOME TAX REFUNDS THIS WEEK

CHRISTIANSTED — During the Government House weekly press briefing today, Government House Communications Director Richard Motta said the government has begun distributing another round of income tax refunds totaling $25 million.

Governor Albert Bryan has said he expects the Virgin Islands government to become current on all outstanding income tax refunds in 2022. This latest run of refunds comprises 10,288 checks, most of which cover refunds due for tax year 2019.

“As you know, this is part of the Bryan-Roach Administration’s continued push to get caught up on past due refunds and its goal to pay income tax refunds in the same year they are filed,” Motta said. “So, if you have filed your 2019 return on time, are not under audit, or have any other liens or issues, chances are you are one of those 10,288 who will be getting a refund this week or next.”

INTERNATIONAL TRAVEL RESTRICTIONS

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has shortened the testing window for all international air travelers entering the United States from three days to one.

According to the updated CDC order, the reduced timeframe aims to “provide less opportunity to develop an infection with the omicron variant prior to arrival in the United States.”

“Effective today, air passengers 2 years and older flying into the United States from a foreign county, regardless of vaccination status or nationality, will have to provide a negative test taken within 24 hours of travel,” Director

Motta said. “Travelers who can prove that they have recovered from COVID-19 in the past 90 days are exempt.

The travel requirements for entry into the U.S. Virgin Islands from the U.S. mainland remain the same. This new travel order from the CDC only affects travelers coming to the territory from a non- U.S. destination.”

Travelers entering the territory from the U.S. mainland or any of its insular territories are still required to provide a negative PCR or antigen test taken within 5 days of travel to the USVI (United States Virgin Islands) or provide proof of a vaccination record completed here in the territory.

ORGANIZED EVENTS REQUIREMENTS

Health Commissioner Justa Encarnacion provided information for groups planning organized events during the COVID-19 pandemic to ensure that those events conform to the Department of Health guidelines and avoid possibly being shut down by the COVID-19 Task Force. Special events that fall outside of Governor Bryan’s executive orders require approval by the Department of Health’s Environmental Health Division.

A “Special Events Request Form” should be submitted for these events no later than two weeks before the planned event, and can be submitted by sending an email to inspections.deh@doh.vi.gov. Applications for events are also available online at covid19usvi.com.

“The Department will continue to support you. We ask that you, too, become stewards of reducing the transmission of the virus by adhering to Governor Bryan’s and the department’s COVID-19 mitigation protocols,” Commissioner Encarnacion said. “Please also send in copies of promotional materials with your form. The COVID-19 Task Force will continue to conduct compliance inspections. If found to be out of compliance, a cease-and-desist order will be issued for the event.”

HAVENSIGHT ATTEMPTED ARMED ROBBERY

Director Motta also read the following statement from Governor Albert Bryan about the attempted armed robbery of a Havensight jewelry store at about 11 a.m. on Saturday in which a security guard and a bystander were seriously injured: