Great News seems on the way

Just read this on BVI NEWS.

"Gov’t to introduce overnight quarantine if vaccinations increase
IN ALL NEWS / BY: BVI NEWS ON MARCH 29, 2021 AT 7:40 AM /

Health Minister Carvin Malone

Once the number of vaccinations in the territory gets to a certain threshold, persons travelling to the BVI will only be required to quarantine overnight, if at all.

Under the current protocols, persons are generally required to quarantine for four days upon arrival in the BVI.

But Health Minister Carvin Malone pointed to the potential of reduced quarantine requirements during his appearance on the Honestly Speaking radio programme last Thursday.

He said: “If you get vaccinated, we are seeking ways in which you have just that overnight. When you come [to the BVI], you get tested. If you are negative, the other day you can go. You don’t have to do four days.”

The minister was at the time outlining some “benefits” of taking the COVID-19 vaccine in the BVI.

He further said his COVID-19 team at the Ministry of Health has been empowered by Cabinet to establish these benefits or, as he termed it, “interim successes”.

“We’re looking in terms of other areas because once we get a certain number of people in (vaccinated), then we can let more people into the churches, let more people into other organisations,” the minister added.

He announced these developments following a report that the BVI has until May and June before its current batches of vaccines expire.

The BVI has vaccinated roughly 7,000 people so far. The territory has a total of 20,000 doses in hand with another 12,000 to arrive this week.

The government’s known goal is to vaccinate about 28,000 people."

We are in VG...everyone we speak to here and inTortola say most people here are not getting the vaccine...too afraid! Hope that changes...

Simple answer..if the incomings( us) are vaccinated and test negative lets go with his plan. If you refuse to get the vaccine you cannot intermingle with the incomings..cant drive a taxi..cant work in a restaurant..cant work in offices. Dont punish us..putting it back on those of us bending over backwards to make this work and pump $$ into the economy. Dont vaccinate..fine..stay home..stay away from us "non belongers".If you want our $$..get the fuc$ing shot! Rant over..

The younger generation on St. John is starting to get the holdbacks to vaccination. How? No grandbabies time until you are vaccinated! Sweet Christine and I got vaccinated two days apart and heard the same story from different families. As always, strong West Indian women rule the roost.

Cheers, RickG

I agree with this. We are on schedule for late June charter. Of the 7 of us on the boat, 6 will be fully vaccinated. The exception will be my youngest daughter who will turn 16 just a few days before we travel and will therefore only then be of trial-tested age. At best, she will have received one shot and not yet have full immunity even if a one-shot dose. In any event, if this means that we all still quarantine for the 4 days, so be it. We are prepared for that at this point- anything better will be a pleasant surprise.

If the vaccine works then people who are not vaccinated won’t affect you.

I think you can feel pretty confident it works. There are some great examples to monitor now. Israel which was seeing 10,000 new cases a day and should be seeing 15000 to 20,000 with the current wave had 200 cases yesterday with a 53% vaccination rate. The UK has been running 4000 to 5000 daily cases with a 30% vaccination rate compared with France having 40,000 to 50,000 daily cases and a 3% vaccination rate. The death rate in the US has dropped dramatically since we have achieved a high vaccination rate for the high risk groups.

While it is good that they are making the right noise, "Once the number of vaccinations in the territory gets to a certain threshold" is just another tease. If he had put a hard number in that statement, then MAYBE it would mean something. It is just noise hoping to entice people to do what they want, and keep us thinking that their nonsense will be over soon.

Charlie Brown goes for the football every single time. Doesn't encourage Lucy to change what she does.

It is unfortunate but I suspect most of that vaccine will be wasted. The government did a fine job of isolation and contact tracing with locking down borders and population. It gave them a sense of security that is unwarranted. I believe the time for this vaccine education and its association with economic reopening was back in December and January.

Instead the country felt like they were safe, few knew anyone who died or were very ill. That tended to sober many up in other countries. There is a saying that a lie (rumor, uninformed opinion) gets half way around the world before the truth gets its pants on. Indeed that has happened in a lot of places and is firmly entrenched in the BVI. The conspiracies, off the wall claims of perils of the vaccine, when given by someone on the radio or tv, never mind they have no background to give an opinion that affects other peoples choices, are huge. Once someone in your social group or church who is adamant in their belief that the vaccine is dangerous or unnecessary and looked up to in other areas speaks against it..others believe.

Now you have had low incidence and all the rumors of danger and a British conspiracy to use the islanders as guinea pigs going on since the vaccine was cleared in December. The BVI government got the vaccine in March and just now are promoting it as necessary to reopen.

If the government was able, they would buy many doses of the multiple antibody treatments that are available and if given soon after getting Covid is 70 % effective in preventing serious disease. Only use it on those at high risk after opening. It would save a lot of people who otherwise will not take the vaccine and get seriously ill. But I see no way they get 70% of their population vaccinated.

I suppose there was not sufficient vaccine but . . . I keep thinking what a great promotion it could have been for a Caribbean island to advertise "Come to our island for your two week (minimum) vacation and we will provide your vaccination!"

Ecm56---Carol posted an article in the USVI forum regarding this...sorry bad at adding links.
St Croix is allowing tourists to get the vaccine there as to not waste doses.
I think its a brilliant win win situation.

Our doses in the BVI are 10 weeks apart so it would be tough to offer to most visitors.

True, but none of the other vaccines are requiring that length of separation and the J&J vaccine is a single shot. I don't believe there is anything that would have prevented a country (or even an enterprising business) from getting another vaccine assuming their pockets were deep enough.

That's cool!

Case here in the UK are levelling off at around the 5000 / day. This is due to the schools re-opening about a month ago. Hospitalisations are still going down quickly though because the people who are catching the disease now are in the group less likely to get a severe case. Deaths continuing to fall rapidly. Down to 56 today.

Oh please, let this persuade the powers that be in the BVI:

https://www.kcra.com/article/fully-vaccinated-can-travel-again-new-cdc-guidance-says/36014437