Beautiful Virgin Islands

Thursday, Oct 30, 2025

Reopening the borders of the VI- A different perspective

Reopening the borders of the VI- A different perspective

The current administration under Premier, the Honourable Andrew A. Fahie , has done a phenomenal job of containing COVID-19 to achieving a zero-infection rate in the Virgin Islands (VI). This proves that the aggressive containment strategy employed by the current administration is indeed calculated, and the only thing necessary at this point is to continue enforcing this functional system to maintain the current results.

Now that coronavirus is contained in the VI, economic resurrection stands before us. This can be very easy as it can be seriously difficult. While reasonable requirements must be in place, it is common-sense to simplify developmental processes making them user-friendly and accessible to EVERYONE within the territory, which will automatically boost development.

It must be cost effective for visitors to travel to the territory for a vacation, not worrying about the excessive per person costs for quarantine and monitoring plus all else, when most all of us have been affected by layoffs, job-cuts and even unemployment.

The fact is, where processing becomes prohibitive and expensive, development is restricted. Where development is restricted, the economy will eventually collapse, and where the economy is in shambles, taxation becomes the next best option for government to secure revenue. The crux of the matter is this: Where there is little taxation, there is always a good quality of life for everyone, but where there is heavy taxation, there is poverty!

Reopening the borders


Reopening the borders of the VI is a highly anticipated event, and while some may be negative about this, there is hope that the economic gridlock created by unwarranted COVID-19 lockdowns will disappear, and the indiscriminate hardship currently experienced by many will be averted.

It is clear that we have been operating out of fear since the coronavirus pandemic began; however, we are now at the place where we must redeem ourselves by embarking a new economic strategy while protecting ourselves and our families. I am sure the VI now has enough experience to move forward regardless of COVID-19, given the well-established capacity to keep the infection rate at zero.

If the current strategies have working flawlessly to keep us all safe, we simply need to stick to our guns while we expand the capacity to manage more COVID-19 cases if we seriously intend to reopen the territory. Let’s face it… there will be imported COVID-19 infections regardless of how expert we are at keeping our local numbers low! The world is infected! Therefore, there is no need to be alarmed! Simply bulletproof the current functional system, and the same results will be maintained.

The concerns


The border reopening plan and COVID-19 protocols as presented by Premier and Minister of Finance, Honourable Andrew A. Fahie (R1) have already cancelled many vacation bookings due to revealed increased measures, leaving the hotel industry in continued limbo.

The Premier said all arriving passengers would be required to have obtained prior approval to enter the territory and would have agreed to abide by certain terms and conditions before boarding their flight.

These terms and conditions include periods of quarantine at approved accommodation, PCR testing (one before and three while in the territory), medical travel insurance that includes COVID-19 coverage, subscription to a contact tracing system through their mobile phone, and in some cases using a wearable device, and bearing the costs associated with these measures. Additionally, the eight-day quarantine and testing plan leaves room for infections in that asymptomatic infections may not show signs before fourteen days… or so we are told.

The point is, while ‘safety first’ is common sense and must be enforced and maintained, government should aim at establishing entry procedures which are more user-friendly and cost effective to the visitor given that there is a local system already in place which is operating excellently. From what we are seeing, while safety should be enforced, entry should be strategically less cumbersome.

Secondly, the proposed eight-day plan carries concerns in that the incubation period for COVID-19, which is the time between exposure to the virus (becoming infected) and symptom onset, is on average five to six days. However, this can be up to fourteen days. During this period, also known as the “pre-symptomatic” period, some infected persons can be contagious.

This is what we were told. Therefore, allowing visitors to move about under any condition before the expiration of a fourteen-day quarantine period could be risky. This place the eight-day plan in a questionable light.

It is therefore safe to conclude that the proposed protocols are not only stress inducing but could also be financially burdensome to the visitor. While we all agree that we must take the necessary steps to maintain a zero-infection rate, visitors will shy away from a vacation if the procedures are stressful and the cost is high. Let us therefore create a stress-free process for our visitors as all they need is to go through the regular quarantine and testing period, then released into the territory to relax and unwind after a harassing, uncertain experience.

Please note: Testing can be reduced to two PCR tests in that three cost four hundred and five dollars per person, a tracking brace costs one hundred and fifty dollars per person, totaling five hundred and fifty-five dollars plus quarantine costs per person where private isolation spaces are not available. This can be burdensome and should be examined.

We cannot follow everything everyone else does, neither can we blame hotels for making reservations before protocols are announced. Businesses trust government to make the best economic decisions, and where this is not the case, business becomes meaningless. We must therefore learn from the mistakes of others while pursuing that which works for us!

Many visitors like locals and immigrants have had job cutbacks, salary reductions, and many may even be currently unemployed and simply need a little getaway to pull themselves together. Therefore, while we must ensure that bullet proof protocols are in place to protect our nation, let’s not be penny wise and pound foolish.

Let’s ease the burden on visitors by making visits user-friendly, affordable and stress-free in the best interest of the local tourist industry. Please note that every tourist is searching for a good deal! Where the deals are great and requirements reasonable, and where the local COVID-19 protection system remains functional and the infection rate low, visitors will always keep coming back all year round regardless of COVID. Our local businesses will again begin to thrive while we all cautiously live and work with COVID-19.

Please see Premier Andrew A. Fahie’s presentation at this link.

https://fb.watch/1oflDkJpT1/

Newsletter

Related Articles

Beautiful Virgin Islands
0:00
0:00
Close
UK and Vietnam Sign Landmark Migration Deal to Fast-Track Returns of Irregular Arrivals
UK Drug-Pricing Overhaul Essential for Life-Sciences Ambition, Says GSK Chief
Princesses Beatrice and Eugenie Temporarily Leave the UK Amid Their Parents’ Royal Fallout
UK Weighs Early End to Oil and Gas Windfall Tax as Reeves Seeks Investment Commitments
UK Retail Inflation Slows as Shop Prices Fall for First Time Since Spring
Next Raises Full-Year Profit Guidance After Strong Third-Quarter Performance
Reform UK’s Lee Anderson Admits to 'Gaming' Benefits System While Advocating Crackdown
United States and South Korea Conclude Major Trade Accord Worth $350 Billion
Hurricane Melissa Strikes Cuba After Devastating Jamaica With Record Winds
Vice President Vance to Headline Turning Point USA Campus Event at Ole Miss
U.S. Targets Maritime Narco-Routes While Border Pressure to Mexico Remains Limited
Bill Gates at 70: “I Have a Real Fear of Artificial Intelligence – and Also Regret”
Elon Musk Unveils Grokipedia: An AI-Driven Alternative to Wikipedia
Saudi Arabia Unveils Vision for First-Ever "Sky Stadium" Suspended Over Desert Floor
Amazon Announces 14 000 Corporate Job Cuts as AI Investment Accelerates
UK Shop Prices Fall for First Time Since March, Food Leads the Decline
London Stock Exchange Group ADR (LNSTY) Earns Zacks Rank #1 Upgrade on Rising Earnings Outlook
Soap legend Tony Adams, long-time star of Crossroads, dies at 84
Rachel Reeves Signals Tax Increases Ahead of November Budget Amid £20-50 Billion Fiscal Gap
NatWest Past Gains of 314% Spotlight Opportunity — But Some Key Risks Remain
UK Launches ‘Golden Age’ of Nuclear with £38 Billion Sizewell C Approval
UK Announces £1.08 Billion Budget for Offshore Wind Auction to Boost 2030 Capacity
UK Seeks Steel Alliance with EU and US to Counter China’s Over-Capacity
UK Struggles to Balance China as Both Strategic Threat and Valued Trading Partner
Argentina’s Markets Surge as Milei’s Party Secures Major Win
British Journalist Sami Hamdi Detained by U.S. Authorities After Visa Revocation Amid Israel-Gaza Commentary
King Charles Unveils UK’s First LGBT+ Armed Forces Memorial at National Memorial Arboretum
At ninety-two and re-elected: Paul Biya secures eighth term in Cameroon amid unrest
Racist Incidents Against UK Nurses Surge by 55%
UK Chancellor Rachel Reeves Cites Shared Concerns With Trump Administration as Foundation for Early US-UK Trade Deal
Essentra plc: A Closer Look at a UK ‘Penny Stock’ Opportunity Amid Market Weakness
U.S. and China Near Deal to Avert Rare-Earth Export Controls Ahead of Trump-Xi Summit
Justin time: Justin Herbert Shields Madison Beer with Impressive Reflex at Lakers Game
Russia’s President Putin Declares Burevestnik Nuclear Cruise Missile Ready for Deployment
Giuffre’s Memoir Alleges Maxwell Claimed Sexual Act with Clooney
House Republicans Move to Strip NYC Mayoral Front-Runner Zohran Mamdani of U.S. Citizenship
Record-High Spoiled Ballots Signal Voter Discontent in Ireland’s 2025 Presidential Election
Philippines’ Taal Volcano Erupts Overnight with 2.4 km Ash Plume
Albania’s Virtual AI 'Minister' Diella Set to 'Birth' Eighty-Three Digital Assistants for MPs
Tesla Unveils Vision for Optimus V3 as ‘Biggest Product of All Time’, Including Surgical Capabilities
Francis Ford Coppola Auctions Luxury Watches After Self-Financed Film Flop
Convicted Sex Offender Mistakenly Freed by UK Prison Service Arrested in London
United States and China Begin Constructive Trade Negotiations Ahead of Trump–Xi Summit
U.S. Treasury Sanctions Colombia’s President Gustavo Petro over Drug-Trafficking Allegations
Miss USA Crowns Nebraska’s Audrey Eckert Amid Leadership Overhaul
‘I Am Not Done’: Kamala Harris Signals Possible 2028 White House Run
NBA Faces Integrity Crisis After Mass Arrests in Gambling Scandal
Swift Heist at the Louvre Sees Eight French Crown Jewels Stolen in Under Seven Minutes
U.S. Halts Trade Talks with Canada After Ontario Ad Using Reagan Voice Triggers Diplomatic Fallout
Microsoft AI CEO: ‘We’re making an AI that you can trust your kids to use’ — but can Microsoft rebuild its own trust before fixing the industry’s?
×