VI Dept. of Health Encourages Masking as Covid-19 Cases Surge to 962 Following Carnival; Bryan Seeks

[TexasTowelie]

Dept. of Health Encourages Masking as Covid-19 Cases Surge to 962 Following Carnival; Bryan Seeks State of Emergency Extension


The V.I. Dept. of Health on Monday encouraged Virgin Islanders to wear masks in public two months after Governor Albert Bryan lifted the indoor mask mandate, a decision based on rising Covid-19 cases that the health department says is tied to V.I. Carnival festivities that took place late April in St. Thomas.

According to Deputy Health Commissioner Reuben Molloy, speaking during the Bryan administration's weekly press briefing from Gov't House on St. Croix, there were 962 active Covid-19 infections as of Monday, with a territory-wide positivity rate of 5.18 percent. D.O.H. said 11 were patients hospitalized with the virus, and of the total cases, 775 were reported on St. Thomas, 171 on St. Croix, and 16 on St. John.

D.O.H. has administered a total of 69,564 first-dose Covid-19 vaccination shots, and 56,873 second-doses.

"The Dept. of Health expected the numbers to rise as a result of the close knit carnival festivities. So while we're not happy with the rise in the number of infections we're seeing, we're not surprised," Mr. Molloy said. "For this reason I'm asking everyone who has symptoms to isolate immediately and get tested as soon as possible."

Read more: https://viconsortium.com/vi-coronavirus/virgin-islands-dept-of-health-encourages-masking-as-covid-19-cases-surge-to-962-following-carnival-bryan-seeks-state-of-emergency-extension