USVI shopping day trip ‘days are gone’ – Premier Fahie

Premier and Minister of Finance, Hon Andrew A. Fahie (R1) has said the days of shopping day trips to the US Virgin Islands (USVI) are over for the people of the Virgin Islands (VI), given the risks of COVID-19.

According to the Premier, things have changed with COVID-19; however, the Virgin Islands has worked hard to get to the point where it is regarding safeguarding the Territory against the virus, including adhering "to all the protocols, the 14-day Curfew, the lockdowns, having to wait at home for food to be delivered we have done a lot of preparatory work to get to this point," and it will not carelessly undo the hard work.

Premier Andrew A. Fahie was at the time speaking during the announcements of an update to the COVID-19 returning policies alongside Health Minister, Hon Carvin Malone (AL) last evening, Tuesday, November 10, 2020.

The Premier was at the time speaking during the announcements of an update to the COVID-19 travel policies, alongside Health Minister, Hon Carvin Malone (AL) last evening, Tuesday, November 10, 2020.

“So it's not that these things are being done in a negative tone at all, we have to understand that travelling is not the same, no one can just get up now and go to St Thomas today and come back this afternoon with a bucket of KFC or shop by K-Mart or whatever the case may be, those days are gone,” he said.

The days of persons from the British Virgin Islands travelling to the US Virgin Islands for a day to shop or purchase Kentucky Fried Chicken (KFC) are over for now due to the COVID-19 pandemic and the strict protocols for travel instituted by the Government of the Virgin Islands.

‘Mandatory quarantine for those returning to VI’ – Premier Fahie

For all persons returning to the VI from elsewhere, they will be subject to a $175 per person cost that will cover a traveller app, monitoring bracelet and 2 COVID-19 tests, in addition to quarantine for four days once on VI soil.

“If you're going to shop and you coming back…. you better shop for four days worth of KFC because you're going to be in quarantine… whatever it is you shop for, make sure that it lasts you for four days,” he said.

The Premier said the safety of the VI people remains paramount hence the policies that will keep both the visitors and local people safe.

“No one will be able to say here in the Virgin Islands that we were safe and they open up the borders and did so carelessly, we have to be accountable for actions for both visitors and residents, so I just want to make sure that I make that abundantly clear,” he said.

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