Prime Minister Dr Timothy S. Harris made the announcement in an address to the nation on June 11, 2021.

“After a thorough evaluation of the situation on the ground, the Cabinet has agreed that we needed to restrict the movement of people, to contain the movement of the virus. We will therefore place the Country under lockdown as of Saturday, 12th June from 6:00 pm for fourteen (14) days to Saturday, 26th June in the first instance.”

Prime Minister Timothy S. Harris has further explained that the government response has always been and will continue to be a 'life first strategy'.

36 new cases for 94 total active cases

Harris said that there were 36 new COVID-19 cases in just 48 hours – 11 cases on Wednesday, June 9, 2021, and 25 cases on Thursday, June 10, 2021. The total active cases of COVID-19 in St Kitts & Nevis is now 94.

Within the next 14 days, people should stay at home over the next two weeks. There shall be a curfew daily from 6:00 pm to 5:00 am.

The Prime Minister further explained that the government response has always been and will continue to be a “life first strategy”

“A lockdown may result in lost earnings, early business closures and inconsequential psychosocial implications. These are some of the things we intend to mitigate as we seek to balance the consequences of these measures against the imperative of “life first.”

Harris also asked the public to comply with the non-pharmaceutical protocols and be vaccinated, stressing that immunisation continues to be the path out of COVID-19’s shadow.

As St Kitts and Nevis and other countries have been resorting to lockdowns, the Virgin Islands continues to open up for tourism and relax suppression measures.

VI further opening up

Meanwhile, as St Kitts and Nevis and other countries have been resorting to lockdowns, the Virgin Islands continues to open up for tourism and relax suppression measures at home.

While it has not mandated vaccination, and has said it has no intentions of doing so, the Government continues to encourage vaccination.

The Andrew A. Fahie-led government has been hailed for its astute management of the pandemic, making tough decisions, including lockdowns, early in the pandemic.

Their decisions have resulted in the virus being contained and many lives said.

Regional countries and the United Nations have hailed the Virgin Islands for its handling of the virus.

Its response to COVID-19 was presented by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) as a model for the Eastern Caribbean at the UN development agency’s official presentation of its joint reports with ISGlobal entitled, ‘COVID-19 Policy Reports for Recovery in the Eastern Caribbean: Analysis, Scenarios and Considerations for Opening to Tourism,’ launched at a virtual meeting on March 30, 2021.

There has only been 1 death from COVID-19 in the territory.

The territory currently has 3 recorded active cases of COVID-19, according to an update on June 10, 2021.