The USVI Department of Health (DOH) on Saturday, September 5, 2020, confirmed the 17th COVID-19 related death in USVI, with the latest fatality occurring in St. Thomas. Photo: VI CONSORTIUM

The D.O.H revealed the deceased to be a 93-year-old male. The department told the Consortium this morning that the death occurred on Friday, and that the deceased was previously on a ventilator at the hospital, though he was not ventilated at the time of his passing.

The Department of Human Services hasn't responded to a request for comment on whether this individual was a Queen Louise Home for the Aged resident, as a number of the senior facility's residents had fallen ill with the virus.

The latest death brings St. Thomas's total to 11, followed by St. Croix with 5 and St. John 1.

17 new cases on Friday 

D.O.H. on Friday reported 17 new Covid-19 cases in the USVI, a rise in numbers from earlier this week when, at one point, only one case was reported.

According to the department, 3 of the 17 cases were on St. Croix, 11 on St. Thomas and 3 on St. John. On St. Thomas, 3 of the 11 cases were transmitted through community spread, 6 through close contact and 2 were under investigation. St. Croix saw 3 community spread cases, and the 3 cases on St. John were under investigation as of Friday.

The number of recoveries continues to grow exponentially. The department was tracking only 90 of a total of 1,167 positive cases, with 1,061 listed as recovered Friday.