March 1

Truth or rumour that the BVI Gov is FINALLY starting passenger ferry service from STT on March 1??? I know they announced that date weeks ago but they also passed over two other dates..I'd be very grateful for any info..thanks..

Current rumor is ferry service will start on or very close to March 1. Domestic ferries will move to the cruise pier (like post-Irma) and the domestic terminal will be used for the processing of international arrivals. 3 trips each way/day.

Again, this is all rumor and I'll be very surprised but it comes from a very solid source.

On other but related news, I listened to a conference with the chief medical officer Monday and he discussed entry protocols. He said he would consider evaluating the protocols again once 70% of the BVI population is vaccinated. The new Governor stated the 2nd dose will be available to all residents by July 31. Based on those 2 facts, I'd guess protocols are reconsidered August 15th (2 weeks after the 2nd dose) assuming they get 70% of residents to take the vaccine. A lot of factors will go into any protocol updates so it probably won't be a quick change.

Is the ferry running between Virgin Gorda and Roadtown now? Thank you!

Yes.

Great..

Mal:

I'm sorry to say it looks like a delay if the JTV news story is accurate.

JTV Channel 55

BREAKING NEWS; REOPENING OF SEA PORT POSTPONED TO APRIL 15, 2021

STATEMENT FROM BVI PORTS AUTHORITY

Reopening of the Seaports (Road Town Jetty) to International Ferry Operations

The BVI Ports Authority wishes to inform the public that the 1st March, 2021 reopening of the Road Town Jetty to incoming visitors has been deferred to 15th April, 2021 for the following reasons:

i. that islands within the region have reported increased numbers of COVID-19 cases;

ii. the increased possibility of the introduction of variant strains from international travelers;

iii. due to the demands of the roll-out of the vaccines and the need to ensure a large percent of the local population is vaccinated, the health personnel normally needed to assist in monitoring procedures at the entry portal is significantly stretched and as such the efficiency to monitor the opening is challenged; and

iv. to enhance the customer experience through further infrastructural improvements at the Road Town Jetty and other ports of entry in light of COVID-19 health and safety protocols.

The BVI Ports Authority apologises for any inconvenience caused to residents, industry partners and our visitors.

We want everyone to experience an authentic BVILOVE welcome from the moment they begin their journey to our islands and throughout the entire entry process at our seaports.
BVI Ports, we keep moving forward.

Poor Mal, ferry port not opening and Taste of India closing!

It seems one cannot underestimate the lack of advanced planning or even a cohesive plan of operation by the government of the bvi. I’m not talking about one party or the other. I don’t know the principles in either or if they differ in philosophy.

I was dismayed for those setting up travel via St. Thomas on a delayed March 1 opening when they pulled the rug out a few days ahead of the date they selected. There is nothing new upon which to change the date yesterday. There was little Covid in the bvi, when they chose the delay to March 1, there is little or none now. There was a lot of Covid in much of the world then and is now and likely will be quite a bit on April 15. No, it seems like decisions are made on the fly and they just pick another date out of the air so potential tourists keep booking and will arbitrarily decide whether to stick to a date, or a couple days before pull a Lucy and move the football a couple days before.

What is obvious is that in doing so they do great additional harm to a tourism product. It is almost as if they believe they are not competing for tourism.

I don’t blame them for the decision to protect their population from Covid. An island doing what they have done is pretty much the only way you can keep it from becoming an epidemic. With a poorly suited health system to deal with severe Covid cases it could have gotten ugly in a hurry.

What I fault them for is poor planning and seat of the pants decisions. They knew they were getting 8,000 doses of vaccine several weeks before it arrived, now going on a month ago. You would have thought in a small island nation, there would have been a coordinated plan ready to go prior to its arrival. You would have been wrong. There were pictures with the politicians receiving the vaccine bundle at the airport. Then they waited a week or ten days to give the first vaccination. If accurate last week after a couple weeks of vaccinations they had given just 200 doses. Now they are standing up other sites between ten and 3pm throughout the islands. Now in the US there have been hiccups with the rollout..but that’s in a country with 300 million people and several time zones and jurisdictions involved. The vaccines in use require much more stringent handling because of refrigeration. Our county is going through vaccine as quickly as they can get it and have several centers going daily for ten to 12 hrs a day. We got our second dose on Tuesday after a weeks snow delay.

The BVI has a small population they should have had prepared for and educated about the vaccine. Instead they seem to be on islon time.

I read last week that their minister of health had said they couldn’t fully open until they vaccinated 70 % of the population which he said would be July. Today in the Platinum news they are talking about the high numbers of locals, including first responders and frontline people refusing to get the shot. So it’s going to set up another moving of the goal posts or arbitrary decision affecting travel.

https://www.bviplatinum.com/news.php?articleId=32360

For better or worse, if you eliminate 'tourism product" or even "return to normality" as a priority, a lot of this stuff makes sense.

so bottom line BVI will not be open until maybe Oct Nov

I find it completely incredulous they had only given out two hundred doses after over two weeks. That’s a rate of about 14 shots a day. I thought all their actions are governed by best medical practices? I assumed they had already given out the first 8000 doses by now as a larger shipment is due that would have covered the second shots and far more. I wonder if the UK will stop sending additional vaccine given it appears the first 8000 doses have gone unused. There are far to many places begging for vaccine.
G

That number is way off. At the beginning of the week they were over 2,000 and planning for 500/day before they opened the additional vaccination centers. It hasn't been announced, but it looks like they opened an extra center in CGB yesterday as I saw a huge line at the Baptist Church.

Well that’s good news!

They have definitely doing more than 200. They were doing walk-in shots this morning in North Sound, VG. Must've done 50 or so here.

Very good news..see you in Mid April Jason!

Indeed in latest article they say they had vaccinated 2032 by feb 23 in an article about the premier getting his shot. Curious as to why they waited a full week after arrival of vaccine and appeared to be giving a low number of doses daily between the 11th and 23. The previous article saying 200 doses must have been confused and talking about a daily total near the high of that 12 days.

It would seem that provisions would have been in place to get it up and rolling before the vaccine arrived and the process would have begun immediately not a week later. I understand there is no epidemic there but there is something of a tourist deficit. That deficit can be solved by vaccinating much of the country and as many of the elderly, overweight and those with medical issues as possible. Then there should be no need for quarantine of vaccinated tourists who test negative prior to travel. That is needed to open up tourism to those wanting a week long vacation on yachts or land based.

Their main country supplying tourists, the US should have vaccine available to all who want it by April or May. Dr. Gotleib who was fda commissioner and on the board of Pfizer said he thought with JnJ coming on board that there would be vaccine available for those who want it in April. Connecticut, he said was now lowering the age for eligible vaccination to 55. It’s going to be like a coiled spring when people who could not travel feel safe. Destinations that can protect their populations through vaccination and open without quarantine will thrive. If not they will simply lose a second year.

If I was in government I would light a fire under the health Secretary to get that vaccine in arms ASAP starting on arrival. I would have psa playing constantly and address all the wild claims in the comments section of local media. . If they can be ready to go when most in us have access to vaccine, they can insist on proof of vaccination if they choose and still have enough tourists to make a big difference to a lot that are suffering economic hardship.

https://www.bviplatinum.com/news.php?articleId=32361

Btw, the other news item was a 360,000.00 payment for two barges that C&i used for one month. I have no clue but that sounds pretty steep price.

That's been happening for months and months. Since the last major outbreak the strippers from STT caused. I'd guess it's been that monthly price since August at least.

Why would we want the free UK ship to help? Not too hard to figure out why that wasn't allowed....

Regarding the vaccines, this season is toast and we have zero active cases so there's not a major urgency.

Well sounds like they have their priorities.:) I’m very sorry for the economic hit y’all have taken.

Will, some US areas are doing well. Others, not so much. Not even doing over 65s here. They've thrown away thousands of doses, had others stolen and kept the very elderly with appointments waiting 8 hours. Now the FBI has been called in. We can't get vaccinated and so no trip to our BVI house.

I’m sorry to hear that. I know it’s been uneven and uneven is typical when you have as many bureaucrats in the chain as we do in the states. I bet you will see it loosen up a lot in the next 4 to 8 weeks and I hope that still gives you time to get back to your islon house and enjoy.

I just noticed that some tourists are jumping in lines in St Martin ahead of their residents. That is beyond the pale. If I were you though I would check with jurisdictions near you and see if you can’t get on more lists. I know of several folks driving two to three hours to get vaccinated. Indeed they had set up a site ran by the national guard in one of the less populated counties south of us. They were expecting 1200 and 800 showed up. I noticed on both occasions that in our case they were not checking ids, so anyone who made an appointment and was in line got a shot.

I am concerned that the bvi won’t get to 70% vaccinated even if the vaccine is available later this spring because of resistance to the vaccine. Been quite a mess everywhere and hopefully we are headed down the last slope.