Paradox? Residents trusted to stay quarantined but can’t drive themselves home
The question of whether quarantined persons entering the BVI are being effectively monitored is expected to be raised when the House of Assembly (HOA) resumes tomorrow for its next sitting.
According to the order paper for the sitting, Opposition legislator Melvin Turnbull will ask Health Minister Carvin Malone why residents are trusted to stay home during a quarantine period but returning residents are prohibited from driving themselves home to quarantine.
Turnbull will further ask why returning residents aren’t given the same trust to drive themselves to a testing site to be assessed for COVID-19 on day-4 of their arrival into the territory.
Designated taxi and livery operators were hired to transport arriving travellers. Those taxi-men were equipped with a detailed commute logging system to perform the task.
It is unclear whether persons are prohibited from using their family members to drive them to their designated quarantine location instead of taxi drivers who have the requisite logging system in place.
Late last year, Premier Andrew Fahie pushed for fines to be raised to as much as $20,000 for persons who breach existing quarantine rules.
Back then, the Premier scolded the actions of a visitor who put the territory at risk by venturing out of their quarantine area. He said the visitor’s actions could have easily reversed the many months of progress made by residents who have complied with the COVID-19 measures.
“Everyone has been here working hard, adhering to everything and then in comes somebody and decides that they’re just going to leave the quarantine area, and they’re positive. It’s nothing to hide under the bush,” Premier Fahie stated at the time.
A few weeks ago, the BVI experienced an enormous surge in new COVID-19 cases in the territory. This resulted in a community spread that saw more than 1,600 new positive cases and 37 deaths all happened within a month.
Turnbull will further ask why returning residents aren’t given the same trust to drive themselves to a testing site to be assessed for COVID-19 on day-4 of their arrival into the territory.
Designated taxi and livery operators were hired to transport arriving travellers. Those taxi-men were equipped with a detailed commute logging system to perform the task.
It is unclear whether persons are prohibited from using their family members to drive them to their designated quarantine location instead of taxi drivers who have the requisite logging system in place.
Late last year, Premier Andrew Fahie pushed for fines to be raised to as much as $20,000 for persons who breach existing quarantine rules.
Back then, the Premier scolded the actions of a visitor who put the territory at risk by venturing out of their quarantine area. He said the visitor’s actions could have easily reversed the many months of progress made by residents who have complied with the COVID-19 measures.
“Everyone has been here working hard, adhering to everything and then in comes somebody and decides that they’re just going to leave the quarantine area, and they’re positive. It’s nothing to hide under the bush,” Premier Fahie stated at the time.
A few weeks ago, the BVI experienced an enormous surge in new COVID-19 cases in the territory. This resulted in a community spread that saw more than 1,600 new positive cases and 37 deaths all happened within a month.
