On a recent Saturday morning, unpainted concrete walls cooled the interior of the skeleton structure that will become the new animal shelter in Josiahs Bay. “We are building a solid …
Money laundering report brings threat of ‘grey list’
A major international report released Monday raises serious concerns about the territory’s ability to deal with money laundering and other financial crime, leading one expert to warn that “red lights” …
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Peter Island blames Covid for rebuild delays
The Covid-19 pandemic was to blame for the four-year delay in reopening Peter Island Resort, operators told the Beacon. The upmarket tourist property has been shuttered since sustaining heavy damage …
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As expected, cruise arrivals set record
As port officials had previously predicted, 2023 saw the arrival of a record number of cruise ship passengers in the territory, the BVI Ports Authority announced Monday. The number of …
Governor bids farewell
In January 2021, Governor John Rankin arrived in the Virgin Islands days after his predecessor dropped a political bombshell by announcing a Commission of Inquiry into possible corruption in the …
EZ Shipping blasts 2022 audit report
The debate last Thursday in the House of Assembly drew a sharp rebuke from a previous target of Auditor General Sonia Webster. On Tuesday, the Beacon received a statement from …
EDITORIAL: First post-pandemic class enters world of opportunity
Congratulations to the members of the Class of 2023, who overcame formidable challenges to get where they are today. First, they survived Hurricane Irma, which transformed the territory. Then they …
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13 Covid cases reported this year
As of Friday, three patients had been admitted to the hospital to be treated for Covid-19 out of the 13 people who have tested positive this year, according to Health …
EDITORIAL: The highs, lows and lessons of 2022
An optimistic look back on 2022 might conjure a year-end image of the Virgin Islands as a phoenix preparing to rise from the ashes of its former self. And after …
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930 take part in health training
Ahead of the holiday season, the Virgin Islands is preparing to join a regional programme that aims to set standards for public health management in the tourism sector across the …
Tourism booms as Covid ebbs
The tourism season started barely two weeks ago, but business is already booming at Foxy’s Tamarind Bar on Jost Van Dyke. “I don’t think we’ve ever seen a season like …
Government mask policy to end November 1
Starting on Nov. 1, public officers will no longer be required to wear masks in offices, Deputy Governor David Archer announced last Thursday. Cabinet lifted the legal requirement to wear …
Virgin Islands had 23 Covid cases as of Monday
As of Monday, there were 23 active Covid-19 cases known in the territory, according to a government dashboard released that day. Before that, government said in its most recent update …
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Virgin Islands to host vaccine drive
A vaccination drive will be held on Saturday and Sunday and again next weekend at the Dr. D. Orlando Smith Hospital, the BVI Health Services Authority announced on Friday. “The …
Virgin Islands drops entry test requirement
Travellers arriving in the territory are no longer required to present a negative Covid-19 test result to enter the Virgin Islands, government announced. The entry test requirement was in place …
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Mask mandate extended in public offices, schools
Less than a week after Cabinet lifted the territory’s indoor mask mandate, government announced that the requirement would be reinstated for public offices and schools. “For the next three to …
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Masks no longer required indoors
As of yesterday, people in the territory are no longer required to wear masks indoors or apply through the travel portal to enter the territory, Health and Social Development Minister …
Another Covid death recorded
The territory has recorded another Covid-19-related death, according to the government’s latest Covid-19 dashboard update issued last Thursday. As of that day, the death toll from the pandemic was 63, …
Pier park grants $1.6m in rent concessions
More than $1.6 million in rent concessions were granted to about 70 tenants at the Cyril B. Romney Tortola Pier Park between April 2020 and February 2021 to offset their …
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Covid cases still dropping
The number of active Covid-19 cases in the territory continues to drop, according to the latest numbers published by government. As of Friday, there were 111 active cases, down from …
Tourism numbers continue to climb
Overnight tourist arrivals in the first two months of 2022 soared in comparison to the same period in 2021, with the 26,225 visitors representing the Virgin Islands’ slow climb to …
Covid cases down a little
The number of known active Covid-19 cases in the territory dropped from 155 on May 13 to 132 last Thursday, according to the most recent numbers published on the government’s …
Covid cases climb to 155
Active Covid-19 cases continued to rise from subvariants of omicron in recent days, but Virgin Islands officials remained optimistic, saying that most of the new cases are mild and herd …
Active Covid cases hit 103 last week
There were 103 active Covid-19 cases throughout the territory as of last Thursday, according to the government’s most recent update. Numbers from the Covid-19 dashboard released that day show that …
Covid-19 cases spike to 95
After more than four weeks with fewer than 20 active Covid-19 cases reported in the territory, government announced April 21 that there were 95 active cases — up from 19 …