Today, I wish to address two matters in my opening remarks. The first matter will be that of the SeaTrade conference. I am sure that many persons are interested to know about the commitments for additional cruise ship calls that we would have secured at Seatrade.

Premier and Minister of Finance, Honourable Andrew A. Fahie, led his delegation in meetings

Premier and Minister of Finance, Honourable Andrew A. Fahie is away from the Territory from April 25 to May 5.

The Government of the Virgin Islands is committed to safeguarding the well-being of the people of the Virgin Islands and its visitors, while protecting the borders, facilitating legitimate trade, and ensuring compliance.

Good day to all Virgin Islanders, Residents and Visitors. This morning we have received news of another serious motor accident on our roads, in which, sadly, a life was lost. The police are conducting inquiries and we await the official details of the incident.

The public and tourism partners are notified of the cancellation of the calls of Queen Mary, Queen Victoria, and Wind Surf due to rising numbers of COVID-19 cases aboard these vessels.  Cruise ships are part of a mandatory reporting system which include the US Centers for Disease Control (CDC), the Caribbean Public Health Agency (CARPHA), and regional ministries of health. 

The BVI Ports Authority (BVIPA),in collaboration with BVI Now, announced today a major update to the app to serve the needs of cruise ship passengers and improve their onshore experience.

The Government of the Virgin Islands announced via the Official Virgin Islands Gazette on 16 November, that fully vaccinated arrivals in the Territory are no longer required to test for COVID-19 upon arrival.  Travellers would have to produce a negative result for a RT-PCR or approved rapid antigen SARS CoV-2 test taken no later than 48 hours before arrival in the Territory.