The incidence of Covid-19 in the territory has remained low in recent weeks, with health authorities reporting on Friday that there were six active cases, four of which were detected in travel screenings and “day-zero” tests of arriving passengers.
Meanwhile, 15,970 people had been fully vaccinated — about 53 percent of the population — and 1,932 had been partially vaccinated, bringing the total with at least one shot to nearly 60 percent of the population, according to Friday’s Covid-19 Dashboard.
Government has also reopened the “BVI-USVI Vaccination Bubble Initiative,” encouraging residents who want to receive the Pfizer, Moderna or Johnson & Johnson vaccines in the United States Virgin Islands to sign up.
Through the first initiative in August, a ferry carried 56 interested people to the USVI.
“After the initiative closed off, we still had a huge number of persons interested in the programme,” Health and Social Development Minister Carvin Malone said in a Monday press release. “This is yet another opportunity for families to get access to the lifesaving Covid-19 vaccination.”
Anyone interested will have to provide their own transportation, cover all associated costs including rapid tests prior to travel, comply with USVI entry requirements, and comply with quarantine protocols, according to government.
Testing will be done on Wednesdays from 1-4 p.m.
Only the AstraZeneca vaccine is currently offered in the territory, but a recent WhatsApp message circulated by Mr. Malone suggested that the territory will offer Pfizer booster shots once needed refrigerators arrive to the territory.