"The light that comes from wisdom never goes out"
The World Bank has forecasted the “deepest global recession in eight decades” because of the Covid-19 pandemic, and the Virgin Islands is not exempt. Estimates show a $22 million dip …
Continue reading “Budget address pushes airport, pier expansion”
While this year’s Speech from the Throne delivered by Governor Gus Jaspert last Thursday in the House of Assembly repeated many familiar promises for digital advancement and overhauls of major …
Continue reading “House agenda addresses life amid Covid-19”
At a time when thousands of Virgin Islands residents are unemployed or otherwise struggling due to the Covid-19 pandemic, we are disturbed by the government’s failure to adequately account for …
Continue reading “EDITORIAL: Government’s silence on stimulus is deafening”
The standards that businesses must meet ahead of the Dec. 1 border reopening became a bit clearer this week with new information released about “gold seal” staff training requirements. However, …
Continue reading “Biz info released, but reopening website not launched”
Premier Andrew Fahie is right that the territory should proceed slowly and cautiously when restarting tourism, but his government’s abysmal communication surrounding the Dec. 1 reopening has needlessly exacerbated a …
Continue reading “EDITORIAL: Communication failure marred tourism reopening”
Premier Andrew Fahie on Monday announced the official protocols for tourists to enter the Virgin Islands, which include four rounds of testing for Covid-19, four days of quarantine within approved …
Continue reading “Reopening plan sparks outcry, cancellations”
With a new tourism season set to start on Dec. 1, hotels are outfitting rooms, boats are getting back on the water, restaurants are stocking up, and many other businesses …
Continue reading “Amid questions, tourism industry prepares for reopening”
During a series of closed-door stakeholder meetings hosted by the BVI Tourist Board over the past week, business owners in the tourism sectors of small hotels, transportation and tour operations …
Continue reading “Stakeholders debate bubble tourism, quarantine rules”
With less than seven weeks until the Virgin Islands’ borders are set to reopen to non-residents for the first time since late March, government has launched a series of meetings …
Continue reading “Draft reopening protocols complete but not public”
Six months have passed since the first two cases of Covid-19 were announced in the Virgin Islands on March 25, and government decisions to control the virus have been met …
Continue reading “ANALYSIS: Six months into Covid-19, uncertainty remains”
When the Covid-19 pandemic hit and effectively shut down the tourism industry, many unemployed expatriates were compelled to leave the Virgin Islands. But because of restrictions on the limited number …
Continue reading “Homeward bound: Volunteers help send pets to US”
As most students head back to school facing the prospect of learning from home for the rest of the year, many of them are in grave danger of being left …
Continue reading “EDITORIAL: Without equal opportunities, students will be left behind”
Government has tried to be flexible as residents have navigated the challenges of living and working amid the Covid-19 pandemic, from uncertain job prospects to difficulties securing flights to home …
Continue reading “Labour: Work permits to be processed online”
Following hundreds of Covid-19 tests that skyrocketed the Virgin Islands’ tally of confirmed cases over the past three weeks, government announced on Tuesday that 111 people had all tested negative …
Kudos to government for hosting a comprehensive press conference last month in a format that we hope will become the new normal going forward. The session was ideal for several …
Continue reading “EDITORIAL: Last month’s press conference should be repeated weekly”
The day after the government hosted a more-than-three-hour-long Covid-19 press conference last week, opposition members voiced their concerns about leaders’ recent decisions, calling on them to present a detailed plan …
Twenty-one more cases of Covid-19 have been detected throughout the territory in the past seven days, briefly shutting down two police stations after officers tested positive and prompting leaders to …
Continue reading “‘Manage It’ phase in effect as Covid spikes”
While the Virgin Islands moves to the orange “Manage It” phase of its pandemic plan as a result of increased Covid-19 transmission in the community, Tuesday also marked the first …
Continue reading “Border relaxation coincides with Covid spike”
The territory now faces one of the darkest times yet in its fight against Covid-19, but the crisis will not last forever. Eventually, a vaccine or other solution will be …
Continue reading “EDITORIAL: Even the Covid-19 pandemic has silver linings”
In an attempt to strengthen mental health and psychosocial support in the Virgin Islands amid the Covid-19 pandemic, a new educational campaign launched with a virtual meeting broadcast last Thursday …
Continue reading “Government launches mental health campaign”
Because of government revenue losses during the Covid-19 pandemic, the House of Assembly recently decided to adjust the 2020 budget, approving $77 million in extra spending and shuffling tens of …
Ten days ago, the Virgin Islands was being lauded as an example in the fight against Covid-19. There were no known active cases, the curfew had just been lifted, and …
Following the government’s recent announcement that expatriates will be allowed to enter the territory starting in September, one big question remains about plans for the border reopening: When will tourists …
Continue reading “EDITORIAL: Plan for tourism opening needed now”
The government is right to use caution when reopening the borders during the pandemic, but we are glad that leaders have finally announced a plan to allow the return of …
Continue reading “EDITORIAL: Government right to reopen borders to expats”