Beautiful Virgin Islands

Tuesday, Oct 21, 2025

Hon Penn slams gov’t for delayed re-opening of marine borders

Hon Penn slams gov’t for delayed re-opening of marine borders

Roughly two days after the government detailed its reasons for the delay of the Virgin Islands' seaport opening until January 21, 2021, Opposition Leader, Hon Marlon A. Penn (R8) has lambasted the government, accusing the Fahie administration once more of 'not having a plan'.

On December 7, 2020, via an update on the re-opening of VI’s Borders, Premier and Minister of Finance, Hon Andrew A. Fahie (R1) said that while the Terrance B. Lettsome International Airport has a good COVID-19 re-opening strategy, the same at the seaports is not satisfactory when plans were put into action.

As such, he said a delayed re-opened will give authorities more time to strengthen the systems to the levels of the airport.

Government had also said it was working on alternative travel arrangements for tourists booked to enter the Virgin Islands via ferry.


The Virgin Islands continues to receive international visitors via the Terrance B. Lettsome International Airport on Beef Island.

Delays reflect poorly - Hon Penn


However, according to Hon Penn, the postponement which was announced less than 12 hours prior to the reopening has now reflected poorly on VI – as a destination and as a brand.

“What we are observing right now represents [a] failure to present a workable plan that finds the right equilibrium to protect the lives of our citizens and the many Virgin Islands businesses and employees that depend so heavily on Tourism, businesses that are virtually on life support right now. The livelihood of these persons are at stake and they can ill-afford these false starts,” Penn noted.

The Premier had said, however, that while he knows it is tough to defer the re-opening and apologised for the move, he said he cannot risk re-opening the borders knowing that systems are not 100% right, which he says can put the people of the territory at risk.

Many countries relying on tourism has had to shut down after reopening, due to COVID-19 spikes. Puerto Rico, for example, on Thursday, December 3, 2020, announced stricter measures to fight COVID-19, including a lockdown on Sundays and the closure of all marinas as the US territory grapples with an increase in cases and deaths.

COVID-19 doesn’t call for you to be 99% right, COVID calls for you to be 100% correct and in the areas where the percentages are lower than in the 90%, in school 85% would still be a good grade, but that is not enough for COVID-19,” Premier Fahie had reasoned.


The Road Town Ferry Terminal will begin receiving international travellers from January 21, 2021.

Gov't, Public officers did lots of groundworks - Hon Penn


Hon Penn underscored; however, that while he acknowledged a lot of the groundwork has been put in by the Government, along with the many hard-working Public Officers, he said many areas are still in need of work.

Hon Fahie has also maintained that the VI's COVID-19 strategies remain fluid and subject to re-adjustments. He also said that certain areas of the VI’s marine sectors will re-open as the administration works out kinks; however, those areas will be open subject to approval.

The Premier had also made it clear that borders are still open outside of the deferred opening of the marine sector, and that the territory is opened to visitors via the Terrance B. Lettsome International Airport.

Newsletter

Related Articles

Beautiful Virgin Islands
0:00
0:00
Close
China Warns UK of ‘Consequences’ After Delay to London Embassy Approval
France’s Wealthy Shift Billions to Luxembourg and Switzerland Amid Tax and Political Turmoil
"Sniper Position": Observation Post Targeting 'Air Force One' Found Before Trump’s Arrival in Florida
Shouting Match at the White House: 'Trump Cursed, Threw Maps, and Told Zelensky – "Putin Will Destroy You"'
Windows’ Own ‘Siri’ Has Arrived: You Can Now Talk to Your Computer
Thailand and Singapore Investigate Cambodian-Based Prince Group as U.S. and U.K. Sanctions Unfold
‘No Kings’ Protests Inflate Numbers — But History Shows Nations Collapse Without Strong Executive Power
Chinese Tech Giants Halt Stablecoin Launches After Beijing’s Regulatory Intervention
Manhattan Jury Holds BNP Paribas Liable for Enabling Sudanese Government Abuses
Trump Orders Immediate Release of Former Congressman George Santos After Commuting Prison Sentence
S&P Downgrades France’s Credit Rating, Citing Soaring Debt and Political Instability
Ofcom Rules BBC’s Gaza Documentary ‘Materially Misleading’ Over Narrator’s Hamas Ties
Diane Keaton’s Cause of Death Revealed as Pneumonia, Family Confirms
Former Lostprophets Frontman Ian Watkins Stabbed to Death in British Prison
"The Tsunami Is Coming, and It’s Massive": The World’s Richest Man Unveils a New AI Vision
Outsider, Heroine, Trailblazer: Diane Keaton Was Always a Little Strange — and Forever One of a Kind
Dramatic Development in the Death of 'Mango' Founder: Billionaire's Son Suspected of Murder
Two Years of Darkness: The Harrowing Testimonies of Israeli Hostages Emerging From Gaza Captivity
EU Moves to Use Frozen Russian Assets to Buy U.S. Weapons for Ukraine
Europe Emerges as the Biggest Casualty in U.S.-China Rare Earth Rivalry
HSBC Confronts Strategic Crossroads as NAB Seeks Only Retail Arm in Australia Exit
U.S. Chamber Sues Trump Over $100,000 H-1B Visa Fee
Shenzhen Expo Spotlights China’s Quantum Step in Semiconductor Self-Reliance
China Accelerates to the Forefront in Global Nuclear Fusion Race
Yachts, Private Jets, and a Picasso Painting: Exposed as 'One of the Largest Frauds in History'
Australia’s Wedgetail Spies Aid NATO Response as Russian MiGs Breach Estonian Airspace
McGowan Urges Chalmers to Cut Spending Over Tax Hike to Close $20 Billion Budget Gap
Victoria Orders Review of Transgender Prison Placement Amid Safety Concerns for Female Inmates
U.S. Treasury Mobilises New $20 Billion Debt Facility to Stabilise Argentina
French Business Leaders Decry Budget as Macron’s Pro-Enterprise Promise Undermined
Trump Claims Modi Pledged India Would End Russian Oil Imports Amid U.S. Tariff Pressure
Surging AI Startup Valuations Fuel Bubble Concerns Among Top Investors
Australian Punter Archie Wilson Tears Up During Nebraska Press Conference, Sparking Conversation on Male Vulnerability
Australia Confirms U.S. Access to Upgraded Submarine Shipyard Under AUKUS Deal
“Firepower” Promised for Ukraine as NATO Ministers Meet — But U.S. Tomahawks Remain Undecided
Brands Confront New Dilemma as Extremists Adopt Fashion Labels
The Sydney Sweeney and Jeans Storm: “The Outcome Surpassed Our Wildest Dreams”
Erika Kirk Delivers Moving Tribute at White House as Trump Awards Charlie Presidential Medal of Freedom
British Food Influencer ‘Big John’ Detained in Australia After Visa Dispute
ScamBodia: The Chinese Fraud Empire Shielded by Cambodia’s Ruling Elite
French PM Suspends Macron’s Pension Reform Until After 2027 in Bid to Stabilize Government
Orange, Bouygues and Free Make €17 Billion Bid for Drahi’s Altice France Telecom Assets
Dutch Government Seizes Chipmaker After U.S. Presses for Removal of Chinese CEO
Bessent Accuses China of Dragging Down Global Economy Amid New Trade Curbs
U.S. Revokes Visas of Foreign Nationals Who ‘Celebrated’ Charlie Kirk’s Assassination
AI and Cybersecurity at Forefront as GITEX Global 2025 Kicks Off in Dubai
DJI Loses Appeal to Remove Pentagon’s ‘Chinese Military Company’ Label
EU Deploys New Biometric Entry/Exit System: What Non-EU Travelers Must Know
Australian Prime Minister’s Private Number Exposed Through AI Contact Scraper
Ex-Microsoft Engineer Confirms Famous Windows XP Key Was Leaked Corporate License, Not a Hack
×