TravelTalkOnline Forums Travel and Vacation Forums British Virgin Islands Covid 19 infections in BVI

Well what I both feared and thought would be happening seems to be. The bvi by isolating itself like possible in other island nations, Australia for example, kept cases very low in comparison with countries where it was much harder to isolate. Unfortunately some of these countries including the bvi and Australia believed their success in isolating their countries mitigated the need for vaccination.

I saw a couple days ago there were 41 cases in the territory and yesterday that had risen to 91. Now I’m sure some of these were positives on people who had recovered or been exposed after vaccination and were not spreading the disease. Most of these were picked up on travel related tests. 15 of the cases seemed to be community spread. Most of cases are on Tortola.

https://bviplatinum.com/

I’ve watched the local media a good while and can see that their is a good deal of vaccination hesitancy. Only a third of the population has had one shot and a very high number of those are ex-pats. There has been and is plenty of vaccine available though I believe the expiration date is looming on many of the doses.

We came down the middle of June and were on a boat for a little more than a week and have been on virgin Gorda since. It does seem that they are trying to use mitigation techniques. There are mask mandates enforced in most businesses and there is hand sanitizer everywhere. Indeed it is much like it was in the states last winter. Masks were worn, but there as here they are primarily ill fitting surgery masks with more than half not covering noses. There is tremendous emphasis on hand sanitation. It reminds me of the very early days at home when there was intense emphasis on getting the virus from surfaces. Lysol and hand sanitizer were as rare as precious stones. Unfortunately it turned out that it was primarily airborne. So I think the effort is there but almost guaranteed not to do much at all in the face of significant virus around.

I hope that more decide to get the vaccine based on the increased numbers. I don’t know what the government will do if these numbers take off.

I’m a little concerned about exit testing timing. We had some friends with us the first couple weeks and it took them about 3 hrs at the Virgin Gorda clinic. I will attempt to get our information filled out and sent ahead as the very good advice here recommended, but I do worry that they will get very busy with their contract tracing and increase in numbers of tests to do in the lab.

We just got back from 2 weeks on a powercat and went to most ports...the other side of the same coin is the visitors we saw had no masks in close quarters. We saw plenty of hugging the locals we all know and close quarter conversations. I saw a social media post with a charter employee sitting as close as he could to one of the entry queens without masks. At every place (Leverick, Scrub, CGB, SDB, Anegada etc) we indicated the 8 of us were vaccinated fully and the reply was always "we are too".

Getting there was a complete PIA...and they are so grateful to have us back. I can see without a Day 0 test (even a rapid test) they numbers will tick up

So while I hope more get vaccinated we need to do our part as well...

IMHO

At this [point in time it is well known that the simple masks people are wearing are worse than no mask, in that the masks are fulls of bacteria as most folks just wear the same mask every day. I find it sad that 1) the USA seems to have funded covid development 2) The masks that were sold were useless as the covid virus goes right through it. The only thing it helps (maybe) is if a covid person sneezes , then the droplets will be contained in the mask.
Basically covid is spread most at indoor events. Almost impossible to spread outdoors. Covid will be around for a while until folks get vaccinated or folks get covid and will also be immune to another attack. Good thing is most folks that get covid seem to have a very mild case, lasts a couple of days of misery and then gone.

I think the CDC was trying to make the best possible recommendations as covid spread but there was so little information available. Surface transmission is a good example as it’s now known it’s simply not a transmission factor yet we keep spraying the heck out of everything. Masks need to be discarded and a new mask used daily. If not you face other health consequences yet most people stuff a mask in their pocket or purse and use it for weeks.

>> … or been exposed after vaccination and were not spreading the disease. <<
Is that a thing?

Actually, most of the cases are local cases now; 68 out of 91 and the other cases are just listed as travel so it doesn't necessarily indicate they are visitors. Lots of residents traveling these days.

The mask thing is very disheartening. Probably 90% or visitors not wearing masks as I see them enter restaurants and bars. It's great that everyone made the extra travel and protocol effort to get here and I understand wanting to relax on vacation but remember there are more people who would like to visit. The more the protocols are ignored, the more likely it is for the government to tighten the protocols back down. Please, please, please follow the rules when visiting.

WOW, 91 cases?????? Incredible increase from 49 only a few days ago. Time for more vaccinations?

Yes, but tomorrow is the last day for vaccines here. That number is going to go higher!! They are still actively contact tracing and testing.

Yes indeed that is a thing CR. The pcr test is ultra sensitive for the presence of Covid 19 virus in any state or concentration. That’s a blessing and a curse these days. Vaccinated people can and do test positive for Covid on pcr testing with no symptoms and unable to transmit the virus. For that reason on our initial arrival I had a little concern for our friend with two teenagers, both vaccinated and had covid last fall. . I had the same slight concern on their departure. They all had positive antibody tests but the bvi bases their testing on the most sensitive test. It picks up viral particles long after they are inactive.

https://www.mercurynews.com/2021/06...ated-have-no-symptoms-and-test-positive/

So my point in the original post was not at all to denigrate their mitigation attempts with masking and hand sanitation. And I certainly did not nor do I condone not going along with their protocols. Indeed they have done much more in the latter area than I ever saw in the us. Clear signs and automatic hand sanitizer in nearly every business along with a hand washing station at Leverick shows a lot of effort. They have mask mandates inside and at most grocery stores they enforce it. Nothing at all wrong with that.

Our vaccinated crew was very careful to observe all such restrictions, as my spouse and I are now. We will continue to do so before we leave . We have given away two boxes of surgical masks an one of K99 so far and will leave.more with long time friends here before leaving.

My whole point was much of the island’s efforts without high vaccination % has been proven to be ineffective in the states. I am hoping it’s different here. Like someone above said many of the close contact persons have said they have been vaccinated. The problem I worry about are the numbers. If only 1 in 3 folks are vaccinated with a single dose and a huge % of expats make up that number, I worry. A good friend on island had mentioned that many C&I officers did not take the vaccine. Like someone said when assuring islon folks they were fully vaccinated and they responded that they were ..I worry.

I worry that many elderly and compromised island residents are at risk because of vaccine misinformation. If they indeed are fully vaccinated which I doubt then cases are not real important. In the states pockets where vaccination lags have shown an escalation in cases..but mostly among young people with not the higher incidence of hospitalization, icu and deaths following.

If the older and less healthy population is unvaccinated my point was this will not go well and because of experience hand sanitizer and poorly fitted, ineffective masks won’t change the progression.

I’m sorry if I gave the impression I thought observing the protocols in place was not absolutely the way every visitor should act. My point was I’ve seen the ineffectiveness of this strategy first hand . Hand washing/sanitizing and poor mask design and wearing with , noses exposed everywhere..improperly for days as has been The case in many areas of the states that thought they were immune to the virus..as well as many countries now getting hit.

The truth remains vaccination of the most vulnerable is essential. Vaccination of a large % of population is needed to keep the virus from hanging around and catching those elderly and compromised. I realize vaccines are controversial here and back home. They should not be.

I didn't get that impression and was simply adding to your great post. As the late great UCLA coach John Wooden said "control the controllables". I cant control if the locals get vaccinated but I can control how close I stand next to someone and whether I wear a mask in close quarters and whether I sanitize et.al....

Just humbly suggesting we all do our part as best we can...outside of vaccination I thought their mitigation efforts were great. I even got a contact tracing text from Leverick 6 days into the trip...

Aah, understand Will, thanks!

150 cases now

And another death.

155 now

I'm debating clearing out for St. Martin tomorrow; before the BVI gets put on a travel blacklist.

273

That is not good...sorry to hear my friend

Jason--Yikes...

When it hits a vulnerable community exponential is a good way to describe the spread. It is so sad that it coincided with last chance to get first Covid vax.

and coincided with the islands opening up and lack of a Day 0 test for vaccinated...

Haven’t seen any scientific contact tracing results yet but rumor mill says the new surge is local spread primarily from the clubs. And maybe some entertainers from STT may not have been subject to the normal protocols. Same story as the last outbreak that cost us all 3 weeks in our house 24/7.

With the number of cases I doubt this can be contained. Better to let it take its course. Seems like the cases are all mild. What is with these clubs? Are these basically whore houses?
I would never go to a place like this and do not understand what causes folks to go to these places.

It seems a home for the elderly is one of the main sources of the outbreak..

Mal--sorry, the elderly should be vaccinated. Worrisome. Regardless, I doubt very seriously that vaccinated visitors are the source of much infection..

Indeed Carol. Unfortunately what we learned in the states is that until vaccinations were available that the virus was pretty much on its own. Mitigation efforts were marginally successful or futile. The contact tracing was soon overwhelmed..as it is here I suspect. It works when you have a handful of cases on an island that is locked down to outside world.

In the US other than vaccination nothing really seemed to change course of the infection. Some states locked down hard, some had mask mandates etc. What was common to almost all was that the virus would get there sooner or later ..there would be an exponential spike in cases..followed in 3 weeks or so with hospitalizations and unfortunately 3 to 4 weeks later with deaths. Our area was pretty free of it till last fall..then it hit with a vengeance. Hospitals were filled and floors devoted to Covid patients., And equally true after a couple months of an upward spike, the cases head down with a steep slope on the other side with hospitalization and deaths lagging. Ill fitting masks, noses exposed and worn on chin and same mask for days and all the hand washing and surface spraying did not seem to change the course once the virus got a foothold. It’s beyond ability to contract trace and quarantine once it is established in your area. Hopefully the folks that are fully here in bvi vaccinated are the most vulnerable. Otherwise I fear it’s going to be a tragic situation for a couple months.
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I respectfully disagree that mitigation efforts are or were marginally successful or futile. Someday when this over we may figure that out but as you know flu cases were down 98% in the US. The only reason I have found for the drastic decrease in flu deaths is the "mitigation effects" for Covid especially distancing. I recognize Covid is more contagious but 98% down is a big number. IMHO mitigation slowed down the progress of spread (1) keeping hospitals from being overwhelmed and (2) buying time until a vaccine could be found

You will note in the latest briefing 17% of the current BVI positive cases are fully vaccinated and another 13% partially vaccinated....

https://bvi.gov.vg/media-centre/sta...r-update-covid-19-outbreak-july-4th-2021

I think it is easy to say if they all get vaccinated that will solve this but I would reiterate IMHO it also takes us practicing good distancing habits down there....

I agree vaccination is truly a game changer and an incredible scientific feat to come up with a vaccine that quickly.

I wonder, what is the vaccine they are using in the BVI? It is stunning that 30% of the cases are either half or fully vaccinated. Something very wrong with that stat..

AstraZeneca...not sure but dont think all cases are locals.

Malone is going live on Facebook any minute......

480 cases now. Curfew beginning tomorrow. Rapid test on entry for vaccinated travelers beginning July 12. Much more info as well - hope to see a written statement soon.

Astrazeneca. But, as I understand it the last day for vaccinations was July1 and the left overs were returned to the UK. I also understand there is to be a new shipment later this summer....that may be just a rumor. Hoping someone else on TTOL has good info on this.
Cheers from North Sound.

The supplied doses expire at the end of July, and July 3rd was given as the last day where people could get their 1st vaccination and have time to get the 2nd dose before they expire.

They are now encouraging people to still get their 1st shot as it provides more protection than nothing at all. A request has been made for additional does but no official date yet.

When I got my first Pfizer shot back in Feb in Sonoma, Ca. the doc told me that it was extremely effective with one dose after a few days and that the second dose is more of a "booster" and makes it last longer. He said they obviously did not broadcast it so people got both shots. That is why even one shot is very important..

Again, does anyone other than me find it strange that 30% of the cases are supposedly at least partially vaccinated?? That doesn't make sense to me..

Carol ~ I am completely with you on this! Seems odd that we are not hearing more of this in the states. I do not trust that % they are giving. The only way I see it is the had Covid when they got the shot????

Carol, it only makes sense if the vaccine was not stored properly, or not kept at recommended storage temperatures. My own PCP practice had to delay offering the vaccine until they were able to acquire a proper sub-zero freezer unit ( yes you could describe this as rural Maine ).

I wonder if they are relying on people to self-report whether they had their shots or not?? And people are lying? To me, that is the only explanation, other than if the vaccine was not stored properly, which I had not thought of that.

I believe even after vaccination a person can test positive. The vaccine lessens the severity of symptoms and chance of hospitalization and death.

This is a correct statement. So it makes me wonder if we should be counting hospitalizations/deaths only. Not saying the positives increase is not a bad thing. But I see that number continuing long after most or all are vaccinated.