Beautiful Virgin Islands

Tuesday, Jun 03, 2025

50% of RVIPF went in isolation after last month’s COVID spike

50% of RVIPF went in isolation after last month’s COVID spike

The spike in positive COVID-19 cases in the territory last month forced the Royal Virgin Islands Police Force (RVIPF) to isolate approximately 50 percent of its personnel after 16 officers tested positive for the virus.

This is according to Commissioner of Police, Michael Matthews who said in a recent interview with 284 Media that reorganising the RVIPF’s frontline was one of the challenges experienced during the spike.

“The minute you talk about 16 cases against 240 odd police officers; it doesn’t perhaps seem a lot. But the first thing you have to do with every single case is work out who they were working with, and who they’ve been in contact with in terms of public and work colleagues,” the Commissioner stated.

“That tracking and tracing exercise led by the Ministry of Health meant that a lot more than 16 officers had to be withdrawn from the frontline very quickly and isolated for the safety of the force and for the safety of the community,” he added.

Isolation was necessary for worse-case scenario


The top cop said the decision to isolate half of the force was to protect them from contracting the virus and allow for the effective continuation of policing across the territory.

“We split our shifts in half and just put half the patrols out that we would normally want to. The idea being, of course, that if it had got worse, then we had at least fifty percent of our available personnel kept in quarantine isolated locations that could be brought back in and continue policing on behalf of the public,” Matthews explained.

He added: “The net effect, of course, is that we still have to provide our security of the border, our marine policing, our traffic policing, our crime investigations and normal response policing on the 911 and 311 and so the list goes on.”

Matthews, therefore, thanked his officers for their efforts not only during the COVID spike but over the last few months.

Newsletter

Related Articles

Beautiful Virgin Islands
0:00
0:00
Close
France Implements Nationwide Outdoor Smoking Ban to Protect Children
German Chancellor Merz Keeps Putin Guessing on Missile Strategy
Mandelson Criticizes UK's 'Fetish' for Abandoning EU Regulations
British Fishing Boat Owner Fined €30,000 by French Authorities
Dutch government falls as far-right leader Wilders quits coalition
Harvard Urges US to Unfreeze Funds for Public Health Research
Businessman Mauled by Lion at Luxury Namibian Lodge
Researchers Consider New Destinations Beyond the U.S.
53-Year-Old Doctor Claims Biological Age of 23
Trump Struggles to Secure Trade Deals With China and Europe
Russia to Return 6,000 Corpses Under Ukraine Prisoner Swap Deal
Microsoft Lays Off Hundreds More Amid Restructuring
Harvey Weinstein’s Publicist Embraces Notoriety
Macron and Meloni Seek Unity Despite Tensions
Trump Administration Accused of Obstructing Deportation Cases
Newark Mayor Sues Over Arrest at Immigration Facility
Center-Left Candidate Projected to Win South Korean Presidency
Trump’s Tariffs Predicted to Stall Global Economic Growth
South Korea’s President-Elect Expected to Take Softer Line on Trump and North Korea
Trump’s China Strategy Remains a Geopolitical Puzzle
Ukraine Executes Long-Range Drone Strikes on Russian Airbases
Conservative Karol Nawrocki wins Poland’s presidential election
Study Identifies Potential Radicalization Risk Among Over One Million Muslims in Germany
Good news: Annalena Baerbock Elected President of the UN General Assembly
Apple Appeals EU Law Over User Data Sharing Requirements
South Africa: "First Black Bank" Collapses after Being Looted by Owners
Poland will now withdraw from the EU migration pact after pro-Trump nationalist wins Election
"That's Disgusting, Don’t Say It Again": The Trump Joke That Made the President Boil
Trump Cancels NASA Nominee Over Democratic Donations
Paris Saint-Germain's Greatest Triumph Is Football’s Lowest Point
OnlyFans for Sale: From Lockdown Lifeline to Eight-Billion-Dollar Empire
Mayor’s Security Officer Implicated | Shocking New Details Emerge in NYC Kidnapping Case
Hegseth Warns of Potential Chinese Military Action Against Taiwan
OPEC+ Agrees to Increase Oil Output for Third Consecutive Month
Jamie Dimon Warns U.S. Bond Market Faces Pressure from Rising Debt
Turkey Detains Istanbul Officials Amid Anti-Corruption Crackdown
Taylor Swift Gains Ownership of Her First Six Albums
Bangkok Ranked World's Top City for Remote Work in 2025
Satirical Sketch Sparks Political Spouse Feud in South Korea
Indonesia Quarry Collapse Leaves Multiple Dead and Missing
South Korean Election Video Pulled Amid Misogyny Outcry
Asian Economies Shift Away from US Dollar Amid Trade Tensions
Netflix Investigates Allegations of On-Set Mistreatment in K-Drama Production
US Defence Chief Reaffirms Strong Ties with Singapore Amid Regional Tensions
Vietnam Faces Strategic Dilemma Over China's Mekong River Projects
Malaysia's First AI Preacher Sparks Debate on Islamic Principles
White House Press Secretary Criticizes Harvard Funding, Advocates for Vocational Training
France to Implement Nationwide Smoking Ban in Outdoor Spaces Frequented by Children
Meta and Anduril Collaborate on AI-Driven Military Augmented Reality Systems
Russia's Fossil Fuel Revenues Approach €900 Billion Since Ukraine Invasion
×