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‘Far too many’ COVID-19 protocol breaches over holiday weekend - Hon Malone

- Public Health Officials can now issue fixed penalty tickets
January 8th, 2021 | Tags: Carvin Malone COVID-19 breaches nightclubs Bars fines
Minister for Health and Social Development, Hon Carvin Malone (AL) says that despite the presence of the COVID-19 pandemic and the country’s strict entry protocols, persons and businesses are still breaching the laws and flouting the protocols. Photo: VINO/File
There have been reports of many flagrant breaches of social distancing and public health protocols occurred at several restaurants, bars and nightclubs in the Virgin Islands over the holidays. Photo: Internet Source
There have been reports of many flagrant breaches of social distancing and public health protocols occurred at several restaurants, bars and nightclubs in the Virgin Islands over the holidays. Photo: Internet Source
ROAD TOWN, Tortola, VI - Minister for Health and Social Development, Hon Carvin Malone (AL) says that despite the presence of the COVID-19 pandemic and the country’s strict entry protocols, persons and businesses are still breaching the laws and flouting the protocols.

The Minister’s comments came following some newly reported cases of COVID-19 and the possibility of community spread.

High breaches in bars, restaurants & nightclubs - Hon Malone 

“It is sad and regrettable to report that over the holiday weekend, far too many flagrant breaches of social distancing and public health protocols occurred at several restaurants, bars and nightclubs. These actions have the potential of putting all of us at risk,” Hon Malone said in a statement released today, January 8, 2021.

“Investigations have been conducted and a number of these businesses have been placed under additional scrutiny by the Environmental Health Division and the Social Distance Taskforce. Fines have also been levied and remedial actions have been taken.”

The Minister urged persons who attended these events and have developed any symptoms of COVID-19 to call 468-2274 or 468-4936 to schedule a test.

The public was also reminded of the fines for flouting the protocols.

The fines for deliberately tampering and damaging the geofencing device is $2000, persons who engage in unauthorised visits with a person in quarantine face a fine of $5000.00 and persons who contravene the protocols or guidelines as set out in the regulations face a fine of $10,000.00.

Too costly for another lockdown - Hon Malone 

More fines include $500.00 for refusing to return a geo-monitoring device and $5000 for providing false information when submitting an application for entry to a designated Public Health Officer enforcing a quarantine order.

“Persons caught violating these provisions, we will find you and we will fine you. The government take these protocols very seriously because it is costly to lock down all of the hard work and efforts for the last nine months will not go down the drain,” Honourable Malone said

Further, he said Public Health Officials can now also issue fixed penalty tickets that must be paid within 21 days of receipt at the Magistrate's Court or before scheduled departure from VI.

28 Responses to “‘Far too many’ COVID-19 protocol breaches over holiday weekend - Hon Malone”

  • rain (08/01/2021, 13:10) Like (10) Dislike (116) Reply
    To much island people here breaking the rules everywhere them go them in a pack
    • Tolan (08/01/2021, 14:09) Like (26) Dislike (4) Reply
      Just imagine an idiot on here all day to bash island people, where do you think you're living ? a continent?
    • tretretrete (08/01/2021, 14:17) Like (16) Dislike (1) Reply
      @ Rain...everyone living on island could be termed island people, even Belongers, who, in my observation feel entitled to be above laws, rules or recommendations.
    • ha (08/01/2021, 14:18) Like (20) Dislike (0) Reply
      @rain. You non melanated swine won’t divide us as a people.
    • Racist. (08/01/2021, 15:20) Like (18) Dislike (0) Reply
      You are racist. Shut your pie hole and treat your brothers and sisters with respect or move to Trumplandia.
    • Sue (08/01/2021, 15:24) Like (5) Dislike (5) Reply
      Island people you foot
    • Thunder (09/01/2021, 06:59) Like (1) Dislike (0) Reply
      People are very ignorant and refuse to wear the mask. I've heard many business owners complain about the hostility and stubbornness of customers and people loitering when they sit at the business place and are told to wear the mask.
  • ERRR, EXCUSE MR SIR (08/01/2021, 13:34) Like (11) Dislike (2) Reply
    AND WHOSE FAULT IS THAT SIR?
  • One week after... (08/01/2021, 13:49) Like (37) Dislike (2) Reply
    The same thing I said, no one is being serious about what is going on. Big New Years celebrations and the protocols so relaxed, people out in numbers and just behaving careless. Now the minister sees the spread and talking about scrutiny...this place is a joke indeed.
  • jokes (08/01/2021, 13:55) Like (15) Dislike (1) Reply
    This is jokes. They all put adverts up for the parties and there was no SD task force anywhere in sight on the night at any of the advertised parties. Some even applied for late license and were approved. Just jokes. Just FYI many decided not to hold an event because they saw this happening. Hope you make sure you only close those who had the parties when this gets out of control.
    • @ jokes (08/01/2021, 15:53) Like (23) Dislike (0) Reply
      Big video from a Dj advertising strippers, big X-RATED poster of a boy advertising a strip club party, the restaurant up Trellis, the one next to Pussers on Main Street and the list goes one of people out in flocks partying and hanging out without a mask in sight.

      Where were the enforcers to PUT A STOP TO IT THEN
  • chosen (08/01/2021, 14:05) Like (11) Dislike (1) Reply
    @ rain you are a jack @@@@@@@$$$$$$$$$$ check your books or a map you are from an island also but no weapons forms against us shall prosper.
    • Me (08/01/2021, 14:49) Like (6) Dislike (4) Reply
      Stop calling them Island People, for indeed we are also from an Island. However, we have dubbed them down island people for the past six decades or more. They are from down island. They are down from us. lol
  • STRICT??!! (08/01/2021, 14:49) Like (0) Dislike (0) Reply
    Hardly, the right decision is not always popular. Make quarantine two weeks mandatory despite of the back lash.
  • Servant of the Most High God in. Christ Jesus (08/01/2021, 15:05) Like (1) Dislike (0) Reply
    Hon. Health Minister Carvin Malone, many including me support your strong and unshaken efforts in the good fight against the deadly covid-19 disease. I and others balance minded thinking citizens urge you not to, even for one hundreth of a second, cave in to the level of irresponsible, ignorant, and uninformed persons, that pride on earring the mouths to their own satisfaction. Yet they careless refuse to adhere to wise protocols. Like you said before, and are currently doing, penalties must be levied against violators. If they can't get it in their heads, get it (money) out of their pockets. Continue the good work, and Godspeed in doing the same. Blessings.
    Blessing from the God of happiness this New Year!
  • Not working (08/01/2021, 15:18) Like (6) Dislike (1) Reply
    Persons are definitely not sticking to the unsupervised 4 day quarantine. There are so many reports of persons having company and leaving their places of quarantine.
    Hon. Premier, please have quarantine persons pay for their own security.
    This is scary
    • Fines (09/01/2021, 11:04) Like (0) Dislike (0) Reply
      Why should everyone else have to pay for the acts of a few? For many its not affordable to pay for quarantine - if you know someone has broken it then report them. Let the system in place do what it is designed to rather than punishing everyone else who plays by the rules.
  • KLM (08/01/2021, 15:21) Like (4) Dislike (1) Reply
    Wase of time government.
  • Shorty (08/01/2021, 15:52) Like (17) Dislike (0) Reply
    But some of your government ministers were out partying and the other entertaining. All watching everyone with no mask not social distancing including the government ministers. One big joke
  • Anne (08/01/2021, 16:24) Like (1) Dislike (0) Reply
    We need to stop these bad things. About people Now is no time for this.
  • Tolan (08/01/2021, 16:35) Like (11) Dislike (0) Reply
    Didn't the premier just had a whole village Christmas show with hundreds showing up seated less than 1 feet apart next to each other? while he entertained them on stage, help me understand.
  • HAHA (08/01/2021, 17:47) Like (4) Dislike (0) Reply
    If ayo would ignore the obvious troll they would stop. Don’t even dislike the comment act like they are invisible and they would realize that it’s a waste of time to post stupidness.
  • next (08/01/2021, 18:00) Like (3) Dislike (1) Reply
    I hope that the health minister is reading this blog I went to the hospital to get a scan done and was told that the machine is not working really what's going on?
  • Monotonous (09/01/2021, 09:16) Like (0) Dislike (0) Reply
    Everything is Covid,. Seems like that's the nightly prayers and morning Psalms,,,,,,One world leader from an Asian country said it best,,,-*My Job as leader is to minimize the importation and spread of Covid and to maximize economical activities,,,To focus on try trying to stop Covid will blind you from seeing the economical opportunities and hinder your forward progress*,,,,,We need to start listening to the countries that are handling Covid and economics successfully,,, Not this that are doing badly,,,,
  • Vision (09/01/2021, 13:23) Like (0) Dislike (0) Reply
    Why was the government more proactive in terms of their media campaign? This behavior is not surprising. Measures should have been taken to minimize it. Advance warnings should have been issued and the task force and police should have been mobilized as a means of enforcement.
  • dstretre (12/01/2021, 21:48) Like (0) Dislike (0) Reply


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