‘VI will get more cases & deaths from COVID-19’ - Dr Heskith A. Vanterpool predicts
“We have to have a way to bring money into our economy, all tourism will die if we don't allow tourist to come back… the tourist businesses will die if we don't allow tourists to come back to the community.”
Territory must re-open to allow commerce – Dr Vanterpool
Dr Vanterpool was at the time speaking on the Wednesday, October 28, 2020, special edition of the Honestly Speaking show where he also noted that some industries, including taxi services and medical services, will suffer should tourism not be revived.
“Even though I'm dealing mostly with the local people, eventually the local people will have no more money, eventually NHI can’t continue to support itself,” Dr Vanterpool remarked.
While there are now several conversations regarding what amount of COVID-19 risks the territory should allow with the re-opening of its economy, Dr Vanterpool said re-opening is something that must happen.
“We do have to allow commerce, we do have to allow people to come back in the territory and the truth is, the moment you do that, you're going to find cases of COVID coming back into this community,” he said.
Open but keep infections to a minimum – Dr Vanterpool
“So, we have to do it in a way to try and keep it to a minimum or to keep it to a limit that we can tolerate and that we can handle,” Dr Vanterpool said.
While he admitted that the territory has not been hit hard thus far from the pandemic, he said the future is one with more where the territory will eventually get more COVID-19 cases and deaths.
Premier Andrew A. Fahie (R1) has warned that the territory has just 8 ventilators, therefore any re-opening measure of the territory will have to be stringent to prevent outbreaks and protect the VI community from the virus.
36 Responses to “‘VI will get more cases & deaths from COVID-19’ - Dr Heskith A. Vanterpool predicts ”
We clearly have to live with the virus, and as we know who the old and vulnerable are, we need to protect them and get on with life.
Tourism can be revived.
Death is permanent. My children needs me .
BVI has lived and will live without tourism and its accompanying negatives which now includes death.
Tourism products in the VI will be even better after a reprieve. Oceans ,beaches and other natural resources will be healthier and better.
Tourism is a fickle product.
A focus and intensity on agriculture and organic living is waaay better for our mind body spirit and pockets than Tourism.
Rise above tourism and make the BVI great again.
Everybody making noise about the protocols but when the cases start skyrocketing and people mother, father, daughter, son etc getting sick they going say is the gov't fault. SMH
One test before you arrive four day quarantine one test after quarantine that is acceptable
Majority of people in the BVI are in a group that has a very very high recovery rate.
Perhaps instead of starving the people and collapsing the economy - we could make the entry requirements easier to cope with to tourists can realistically visit.
Persons who are high risk for serious COVID side effects - issue recommendations for them to stay home. Allow "Safe" zones and / or times for them to go out.
Get over it!
Mr Vantetpool is a trained and practicing physician, proprietor of a medical clinic and may or may not be but likely has invested interests in pharmaceutical distributions within the VI. His monetary interest will therefore be extended to the monetary gains from our illnesses with no interest in our resulting deaths but I don't know if his portfolio includes funeral homes. It is my belief that he is a Christian and religiously attends church as is customary of most generational "born here " BVIslanders.
Pardon me if you please. Sorry to be brief,but....
I have the urgency to regurgitate my lunch.
They have FEMA,Medicaid, Medicare, SSI,SSD,Food Stamps,Stimulus packages,etc provided ,entitled and guaranteed by the USA which also prints its own currency.
The VI has nothing except for 6 ventilators,maybe.
No guaranteed assistance from anywhere.
Your pocket getting hurt now, so you talking. Time longer than twine - eventually what hurting the lil man will eventually hurt the big man!
From the article: "Dr Vanterpool was at the time speaking on the Thursday, October 29, 2020, special edition of the Honestly Speaking show where he also noted that some industries, including taxi services and medical services, will suffer should tourism not be revived.
“Even though I'm dealing mostly with the local people, eventually the local people will have no more money, eventually NHI can’t continue to support itself,” Dr Vanterpool remarked."
Keep the place closed man, keep it closed! We will see/hear the same %^&* here crying in 3 months.
Why you all dont live and let live and stop with all this prediction bull****.
We will continue to get more deaths and cases because of these f*****g bars and people not wearing their masks and involve in social gatherings. Watch. By December If not earlier next year we going to get another spike.