Beautiful Virgin Islands

Monday, Oct 06, 2025

YP Opposition Leader Wants D7 Healthcare Facility Reopened In Face Of Rising COVID-19 Cases

YP Opposition Leader Wants D7 Healthcare Facility Reopened In Face Of Rising COVID-19 Cases

Pointing to the upward spiralling of the COVID-19 cases in the Territory, Virgin Islands Youth Parliament Opposition Leader, Mr. Kevon Lettsome has called on Deputy Premier and Seventh District Representative, Hon. Dr. Natalio Wheatley to find the resources to reopen the Rosalind Penn Health Centre that has been closed for some time.
Mr. Lettsome said the reopening of this clinic would alleviate the burden placed on the Iris Penn Smith Health Centre in the East End community.

“Firstly, my thoughts and prayers are with the healthcare workers and frontline staff across the territory who put themselves and their families at risk to keep the Virgin Islands safe. We continue to rely on your strength during these times and for that, we thank you,” he said in a statement on social media on Monday, January 10.

He continued: “On August 1st 2019, the Seventh District’s lone health centre reopened since the devastating hurricanes of 2017. This was a tremendous milestone for the residents of the district who face many health challenges. However, over the last few months, the healthcare centre was closed and as I move throughout the district, it is painfully obvious that no one can explain the reasons behind the closure.”

He added, “From a recent announcement from health officials we now know the Omicron variant is present in the Virgin Islands so we must find ways to ease the burden on the Iris Penn Smith Health Centre in East End by reopening the Rosalind Penn Health Centre in District Seven as soon as possible.”

He said the healthcare burden is too much for the heavily populated districts.

“It is not fair to the district nor is it fair to the healthcare professionals. I am now appealing to the Seventh District Representative Hon. Natalio Wheatley to find the resources and take care of our district, in keeping with the commitments made by his colleague. We need the Deputy Premier of this territory to step up for us,” he added.

Minister for Health and Social Development, Hon. Carvin Malone said in an update on Friday, January 7, that the British Virgin Islands has 1,049 active, positive cases and out of that figure, 109 are healthcare workers.
Newsletter

Related Articles

Beautiful Virgin Islands
0:00
0:00
Close
Munich Airport Reopens After Second Drone Shutdown
France Names New Government Amid Political Crisis
Trump Stands Firm in Shutdown Showdown and Declares War on Drug Cartels — Turning Crisis into Opportunity
Surge of U.S. Billionaires Transforms London’s Peninsula Apartments into Ultra-Luxury Stronghold
Pro Europe and Anti-War Babiš Poised to Return to Power After Czech Parliamentary Vote
Jeff Bezos Calls AI Surge a ‘Good’ Bubble, Urges Focus on Lasting Innovation
Japan’s Ruling Party Chooses Sanae Takaichi, Clearing Path to First Female Prime Minister
Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs Sentenced to Fifty Months in Prison Following Prostitution Conviction
Taylor Swift’s ‘Showgirl’ Launch Extends Billion-Dollar Empire
Trump Administration Launches “TrumpRx” Plan to Enable Direct Drug Sales at Deep Discounts
Trump Announces Intention to Impose 100 Percent Tariff on Foreign-Made Films
Altman Says GPT-5 Already Outpaces Him, Warns AI Could Automate 40% of Work
Singapore and Hong Kong Vie to Dominate Asia’s Rising Gold Trade
Trump Organization Teams with Saudi Developer on $1 Billion Trump Plaza in Jeddah
Manhattan Sees Surge in Office-to-Housing Conversions, Highest Since 2008
Switzerland and U.S. Issue Joint Assurance Against Currency Manipulation
Electronic Arts to Be Taken Private in Historic $55 Billion Buyout
Thomas Jacob Sanford Named as Suspect in Deadly Michigan Church Shooting and Arson
Russian Research Vessel 'Yantar' Tracked Mapping Europe’s Subsea Cables, Raising Security Alarms
New York Man Arrested After On-Air Confession to 2017 Parents’ Murders
U.S. Defense Chief Orders Sudden Summit of Hundreds of Generals and Admirals
Global Cruise Industry Posts Dramatic Comeback with 34.6 Million Passengers in 2024
Trump Claims FBI Planted 274 Agents at Capitol Riot, Citing Unverified Reports
India: Internet Suspended in Bareilly Amid Communal Clashes Between Muslims and Hindus
Supreme Court Extends Freeze on Nearly $5 Billion in U.S. Foreign Aid at Trump’s Request
Archaeologists Recover Statues and Temples from 2,000-Year-Old Sunken City off Alexandria
China Deploys 2,000 Workers to Spain to Build Major EV Battery Factory, Raising European Dependence
Speed Takes Over: How Drive-Through Coffee Chains Are Rewriting U.S. Coffee Culture
U.S. Demands Brussels Scrutinize Digital Rules to Prevent Bias Against American Tech
Ringo Starr Champions Enduring Beatles Legacy While Debuting Las Vegas Art Show
Private Equity’s Fundraising Surge Triggers Concern of European Market Shake-Out
Colombian President Petro Vows to Mobilize Volunteers for Gaza and Joins List of Fighters
FBI Removes Agents Who Kneeled at 2020 Protest, Citing Breach of Professional Conduct
Trump Alleges ‘Triple Sabotage’ at United Nations After Escalator and Teleprompter Failures
Shock in France: 5 Years in Prison for Former President Nicolas Sarkozy
Tokyo’s Jimbōchō Named World’s Coolest Neighbourhood for 2025
European Officials Fear Trump May Shift Blame for Ukraine War onto EU
BNP Paribas Abandons Ban on 'Controversial Weapons' Financing Amid Europe’s Defence Push
Typhoon Ragasa Leaves Trail of Destruction Across East Asia Before Making Landfall in China
The Personality Rights Challenge in India’s AI Era
Big Banks Rebuild in Hong Kong as Deal Volume Surges
Italy Considers Freezing Retirement Age at 67 to Avert Scheduled Hike
Italian City to Impose Tax on Visiting Dogs Starting in 2026
Arnault Denounces Proposed Wealth Tax as Threat to French Economy
Study Finds No Safe Level of Alcohol for Dementia Risk
Denmark Investigates Drone Incursion, Does Not Rule Out Russian Involvement
Lilly CEO Warns UK Is ‘Worst Country in Europe’ for Drug Prices, Pulls Back Investment
Nigel Farage Emerges as Central Force in British Politics with Reform UK Surge
Disney Reinstates ‘Jimmy Kimmel Live!’ after Six-Day Suspension over Charlie Kirk Comments
U.S. Prosecutors Move to Break Up Google’s Advertising Monopoly
×