The COVID-19 pandemic in United States Virgin Islands was a part of the ongoing global viral pandemic of coronavirus disease 2019 (
COVID-19
Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is a contagious disease caused by a virus, the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The first known case was identified in Wuhan, China, in December 2019. The disease quickly ...
), which was reported to have spread to the
U.S. territory
In the United States, a territory is any extent of region under the sovereign jurisdiction of the federal government of the United States, including all waters (around islands or continental tracts). The United States asserts sovereign rights for ...
of the
Virgin Islands
The Virgin Islands ( es, Islas Vírgenes) are an archipelago in the Caribbean Sea. They are geologically and biogeographically the easternmost part of the Greater Antilles, the northern islands belonging to the Puerto Rico Trench and St. Cro ...
with the first confirmed case of COVID-19 on March 13, 2020. COVID-19 testing on the islands began on March 3, 2020, with the first three tests sent to the
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) is the national public health agency of the United States. It is a United States federal agency, under the Department of Health and Human Services, and is headquartered in Atlanta, Georgi ...
. On March 13, the first case in the territory was confirmed, and the first community transmission case was identified on March 22.
Prevention
On March 13, 2020, the cruise ship was denied entry to the islands outside of allowing an injured patient to be removed from the ship.
On March 23, non-essential businesses were ordered to close beginning March 25 by Governor Albert Bryan, and residents were directed to stay home.U.S. VIRGIN ISLANDS ENACTS TOURISM RESTRICTIONS TO ADDRESS COVID-19 PANDEMIC USVI Update Travel Pulse
All
University of the Virgin Islands
The University of the Virgin Islands (or UVI) is a public historically black land-grant university in the United States Virgin Islands.
History
UVI was founded as the College of the Virgin Islands on March 16, 1962. In 1986, it officially be ...
graduate and undergraduate classes were required to be held online beginning March 23.
On March 25, entry of visitors to the islands was barred for 30 days.
Transition to endemic stage
On May 31, 2022, Governor Bryan announced that the travel screening portal would be shut down, saying that the "tool effectively served its purpose in protecting Virgin Islands residents", pointing out that the federal government still requires a negative test within 24 hours from a foreign port. He stated that "we are transitioning from COVID-19 pandemic to
endemic
Endemism is the state of a species being found in a single defined geographic location, such as an island, state, nation, country or other defined zone; organisms that are indigenous to a place are not endemic to it if they are also found else ...
" and "we now have the tools and information necessary to protect ourselves from a serious illness."
COVID-19 pandemic by country and territory
This is a general overview and status of places affected by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), the virus which causes coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) and is responsible for the COVID-19 pandemic. The first human ...
References
External links
Information from the U.S. Virgin Islands Department of Health
coronavirus pandemic
The COVID-19 pandemic, also known as the coronavirus pandemic, is an ongoing global pandemic of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The novel virus was first identifie ...
coronavirus pandemic
The COVID-19 pandemic, also known as the coronavirus pandemic, is an ongoing global pandemic of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The novel virus was first identifie ...
United States Virgin Islands
The United States Virgin Islands,. Also called the ''American Virgin Islands'' and the ''U.S. Virgin Islands''. officially the Virgin Islands of the United States, are a group of Caribbean islands and an unincorporated and organized territory ...
Virgin Islands
The Virgin Islands ( es, Islas Vírgenes) are an archipelago in the Caribbean Sea. They are geologically and biogeographically the easternmost part of the Greater Antilles, the northern islands belonging to the Puerto Rico Trench and St. Cro ...