Island of Thule Will Rise Again

Argument BY PREMIER AND Minister OF FINANCE,
HONOURABLE ANDREW A. FAHIE

Apr 15, 2020

Good day and God's continued Blessings on all of us who telephone call the Virgin Islands our dwelling house.

Every bit a people, we continue to gloat the precious souvenir of life.

It was just this Easter weekend we were reminded that GOD, ABBA OUR FATHER Reigns. His crucifixion represents triumph and His resurrection represents HOPE!

It means, no affair how tough it gets; no matter what we confront today; no affair what we are going through and have been through, no matter the uncertainties of tomorrow, Nosotros WILL RISE Once again!

I know this considering history never lets you lot forget that progress and survival are in our DNA as Virgin Islanders.

That is why; I am hither today to tell yous that as we continue to truly and faithfully repent and praise, all will be well, just have Faith, radical faith!

We continue to thank all of y'all who go along to take the time to call-in to ZKING, ZCCR AND ZBVI to pray and praise Jehovah for our dearest Virgin Islands.

I thank our Kingdom Ambassadors and Prayer Warriors for standing guard on the wall in protection of our Territory.

We give thanks all of you who continue to pray within the walls of your homes.

Nosotros give thanks all of you for praying for each other and for your Regime considering true leadership is knowing when to follow and when to lead.

The COVID-xix pandemic has forever changed the global operating landscape which has a trickledown effect on the Caribbean region, and more than specifically the British Virgin Islands.

And, I want to cheers the People of this Territory for remaining in understanding with your Regime to go on us all safe within our borders and within our homes equally we work to become a COVID-19 free destination, business jurisdiction and economic system.

And together we declare that is and then in Jesus' Name.

I know that some of you are feeling a sense of frustration at this fourth dimension. I empathise with you. I fully understand your pain.

Information technology was not easy nor was information technology an easy decision to tell the cruise ships and tourists, non to come at this time.

Information technology was not an easy decision to know that in that location are Virgin Islanders living abroad in high-chance COVID-19 countries, they are our family members, who want to come home, but for now they cannot considering our borders had to be closed.

It was not an piece of cake decision to close schools and tell our children that they cannot nourish.

It was not an easy decision to tell you lot that when you lot to see your blood brother, sis or friend to greet them from a distance.

It was not an piece of cake decision to ask you lot to close your businesses!

Information technology certainly was non an easy decision to inquire you to store for fourteen days and remain indoors for 24 hours each day.

Merely when you await effectually the world and hear and see the daunting stories and pictures of many people gasping for breath on ventilators; when you hear the startling number of people abroad succumbing to the reality of COVID-19 you lot have no choice only to pray, programme, preclude and persevere.

The reality is, one time there is life there is hope.

So what did we do as a people to proceed our hope alive?

Nosotros bite the bullet. We dipped into your own coin, while utilising our own resources. We recognised what our forefathers recognised that the just solution to our problems is ourselves.

And then we immediately invested over $12M of our own money and we swiftly swung into the preventative mode, to put the necessary measures and mechanisms in identify.

This is what we have done together as a people of the Virgin Islands.

Let me remind you that together nosotros used our funds to reconstruct an area in the Dr. D Orlando Smith Hospital to quarantine persons, if needed.

Together nosotros spearhead our Health Emergency response to this pandemic leaning on the strength and expertise of our people.

Our efforts to go on us all safe take been many.

And we have once over again seen that the Lord always aid those who aid themselves.

Our efforts were blessed with the help from many hands.

Help from Family Support Network, Cherry Cantankerous, Lions, Rotary, Bank of Asia, and many other businesses and NGOs who stepped up to the plate. They helped to feed those who needed it the most and assisted in the donation of many needed resources in the fight against this pandemic.

Through our initial efforts to keep us all safe, GOD continues to allow more assist to come.

We have seen this lately where this Territory was able to get 480 test kits in the get-go instance and then 960 exam kits from the Great britain. I want to say that no matter where the assistance has come from, your Government says thank yous. Praise be to God.

Nosotros are now pending the arrival of 30 medical personnel from Cuba. This again is your Regime showing that it is remaining proactive and not reactive.

Near daily, the Chiffonier of the Virgin Islands continues to meet to make decisions that volition keep us safe in this COVID-19 era, while ensuring that our economy remains buoyant. This is not an piece of cake residuum to attain, only with GOD all things are possible.

Nosotros thank the Governor for chairing these meetings and being a part of the decision making as Ministers deliberated on the scientific evidence from our public health officials, Earth Health Organisation and CARPHA, and the recommendations from the Health Emergency Operation Centre.

I proceed to thank our Deputy Premier and Minister for Health and Social Evolution, Honourable Carvin Malone as he and his HEOC team go along to keep their hands on the pulse equally we navigate through this unprecedented time of the ongoing health pandemic.

I thank the Cabinet Secretarial assistant and the Attorney General who keep to provide invaluable assist behind the scenes.

I too thank all xiii elected representatives for all their invaluable contributions because we are all in this together.

Merely, about of all I thank you the people of the Virgin Islands for being obedient and making the necessary sacrifices, equally uncomfortable as they may be, to ensure that nosotros all remain safe.

As you lot are aware, we had three confirmed cases. They have been recovering remarkably. In fact, ii of them have now tested negative for COVID-19, and we praise God for their testimonies.

Thankfully, since this 14-solar day 24-hour curfew was instituted, and the ongoing testing, in that location accept been no new confirmed cases of COVID-19 in the BVI. For this we tin only say to GOD Exist ALL THE GLORY!

For the last few days we have been meeting in Chiffonier to properly mankind out what will happen when the current 14-24-hour interval 24-60 minutes curfew ends on April 19.

Here are some of the factors that guided our decisions:

1. We take in place an aggressive contact tracing and containment measures along with the proactive social distancing.
2. Nosotros have had no new cases or spikes in transmission and no evidence of community spreading to appointment.
3. Nosotros have been able to residuum the enhancement of the public-health surveillance system and scaling up the healthcare system to business relationship for the unprecedented spread of COVID-19.
4. Nosotros need to re-energise our economic action, while ensuring our safety.

With these factors in mind, Cabinet Ministers deliberated, voted and agreed that in that location will be no need for any further extension of the electric current 14-24-hour interval 24-hr Imposition of a Curfew Order.

Cabinet was presented with a comprehensive COVID-19 Phased Internal and Restricted Borders Reopening Program by the HEOC squad.

To engagement, nosotros have just endorsed Stage One of the plan which volition take united states upward to June 1, 2020. This first phase only represents the internal reopening of the BVI. Please notation that during this phase our borders will remain closed.

I repeat during this phase, our borders remain closed.

Nosotros thought it best to approve the plan in phases so that each stage builds on the strength of the other, and to allow for amendments and adjustments to exist made along the way seeing that this pandemic remains fluid.

Simply put we are not out of the woods yet.

We recognise that there accept been some genuine needs during this xiv-day curfew. In society to address those needs, Cabinet approved home delivery services for essential food supplies, only, from approved supermarkets between nine:00am and 3:00pm; and home deliveries of LPG (cooking gas) from half-dozen:00am to 12 noon, while this nowadays curfew continues. Please annotation that you can merely telephone call in your for food and groceries orders using those commitment services approved by Cabinet.

Today, nosotros also came to inform you about Stage One of the internal reopening plan and how information technology will function.

Chiffonier agreed on the plans for the showtime part of a six-week gradual and safety re-opening that will be carefully managed.

A new Curfew Order will be put in place for from half dozen:01 a.thou. on Thursday, Apr 16, 2020 to 6:00 a.m. on Thursday, Apr  30, 2020, for 14 days, to be managed in the following way:

April sixteen and 17, 2020, the Society will operate in a manner that is currently ongoing. Simply put, April 16 and 17 there will be no difference in how we are operating under this current Order.

Withal, on Saturday, Apr xviii, 2020 approved businesses volition exist allowed to clear supplies at Port Purcell, Tortola and St. Thomas Bay, Virgin Gorda.

Chiffonier as well canonical a list of critical/cardinal private sector businesses to carry out the necessary in-shop sanitisation, physical distancing markers, security, environmental health assessment and associated measures prior to re-opening.

Chiffonier agreed a express listing of Critical/Primal Private Sector businesses and organisation activities that will be permitted to operate during the beginning few days of the first stage of the internal reopening plan. They are as follows:

• supermarkets/minimarts
• bakeries
• pharmacies/drug stores
• restaurants  but only deliveries and take-out
• banks/remittance services
• farming and fisheries
• fuel stations and LPG (cooking gas)
• hardware stores
• ferries but but, inter-island movement within the BVI. And , I echo ferries  but simply, inter-island motility within the BVI.
• buses/taxis  just with limited passengers, adhering to the social distancing measures.
• laundries
• individual health care providers
• insurance companies
• small construction teams with a limit of 20 people per projection
• manufacturers and suppliers of personal protective equipment and mitt sanitisation products manufactures of those
• office supplies
• telecommunication retail stores
• garages and automotive supply stores
• dwelling house delivery services; and
• gatherings at organized religion- based organisations will be limited to xx people

Cabinet agreed that a new night-time Curfew will be imposed from 7:00 p.m. until 6:00 a .m. daily starting from April 19 to June 1, 2020. Please annotation that approved businesses will be allowed to operate daily from 6:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.thou.

Businesses should ensure that their operating hours give assart for their staff to report and exit piece of work inside the hours of the imposed Curfew.

Chiffonier agreed that on Sunday, April 19, 2020 seniors and essential workers can access central disquisitional/businesses for essential supplies and services, (seniors would be persons who are 70 years and above) and everyone else should remain at abode;

I repeat, Chiffonier agreed that on Sunday, April 19, 2020 seniors and essential workers tin can access cardinal critical/businesses for essential supplies and services, (seniors would exist persons who are 70 years and higher up) and everyone else should remain at dwelling.

In Chiffonier we also agreed that from Mon, Apr twenty at 6:00 a.m., residents will be able to leave their homes to access disquisitional/key services, every bit defined, and for express exercise, simply not on beaches. For now all beaches remain closed.

Delight take note, Cabinet decided on access to businesses in the Road Town business district for the introduction of a district-by-commune programme from Monday, April 20 to Thursday, April 23, 2020.

It is equally follows:

On Monday, Apr twenty – residents of Districts 4, 5 and vi will be the only ones allowed to admission businesses in the Road Town Concern District .

On Tuesday, April 21 - residents of Districts i, ii ,and iii will be the just ones immune to admission businesses in the Route Town Business District .

On Wednesday, April 22 – residents of Districts 7 and 8 volition be the simply ones allowed to access businesses in the Road Town Business District for the introduction of the internal reopening.

On Thursday, Apr 23 – District 9 (Virgin Gorda) will exist the only ones allowed to access business in the Road Town Business organisation District .

Residents of Anegada would exist allowed to travel to the Road Town concern district to access services from April 20 to 23, 2020; delight note that Jost Van Dyke will autumn within the District 2 timeframe.

We are having this construction approach because we are mindful that people want to rush out and make purchases.

But please empathize that the Territory will no longer be on a full lock down.

We are internally reopening, merely with Caution so that we do not retard the progress we have made thus far in containing COVID-19 in the British Virgin Islands.

Every bit a Territory, we have been doing extremely well. We just want to make sure that in that location is a structured approach.

After the fourth day, of the enteral reopening we have every day of the week in which to go to Road Boondocks or anywhere in the Territory, and do business organization.  And so please do not panic and blitz out.

All the businesses have bodacious us that they are prepared for you. Shipments are still coming and cargo is nevertheless being cleared.

So allow us all remain at-home and practise what is expected of united states and look out for each other with BVILOVE.

We are going to get through this together.

Chiffonier likewise endorsed the xc-day Public Service Operations Programme in phases up to June 1. The Governor will undoubtedly shed more low-cal on this.

We will continue to run across with the business organization community almost to discuss innovative ways of doing business concern mail service COVID-19.

We are in this together.

During this initial internal opening, I wish to say here that Cabinet too decided that schools would remain closed to students, but teachers, in a limited chapters, tin access schools and engage in on-line teaching. And the Government minister for Education will soon be post-obit with a speech with more details in this area in regards to schools.

Public officers are being retooled and retrained for the new BVI where Chiffonier decided on a temporary redeployment of Clearing Officers to join the Joint Task Force with Her Majesty's Community and the Royal Virgin Islands Police force Forcefulness for the COVID-19 era.

This means that there will now exist extra manpower on the roads, at the borders and patrolling the seas. There will be zero tolerance of human being trafficking and zip tolerance to crime.

When the borders practice open up in phase two, just persons accounted to belong to the Territory and persons with resident condition volition be immune entry over the side by side three (3) months, but with strict conditions. At that time, such entry volition only be allowed at the Terrance B. Lettsome International Aerodrome, subject to a pre-approval of rider data 7 (seven) days in advance of travel, among other measures.

The seaports for now volition remain closed.

The Joint Data Cell of the HEOC will provide you with all this information besides.

We cannot get complacent, hence the reasons for these deportment.

I know that many persons are waiting eagerly to hear about the economic response referred to some as an economic stimulus programme. While the details of this phased plan that has been canonical by Cabinet will exist fully discussed with y'all the public shortly, today I seek to inform you of what Chiffonier decided.

Cabinet has approved the Policy Newspaper: BVI Government's Policy Response to the Coronavirus pandemic, which will serve every bit the interim framework to guide the Regime's social, economic and fiscal response to the immediate and short-term needs of the Territory.

I will be making a total statement on this as Government minister of Finance shortly, only I just wanted to moisture your appetite and permit you know that:

Chiffonier decided that the Financial Secretary instruct applicative Ministries, Statutory Bodies and Public Corporations to implement the Immediate Relief Package, and for each to submit a bi-monthly report to the Ministerof Finance for the data of the Cabinet;

Cabinet also decided that the Financial Secretarial assistant, in collaboration with the applicative Ministries, Statutory Bodies and Public Corporations volition develop a Phase Ii economic and social response programme guided by the Economical Stimulus component of the Policy Paper, which programmes are to be submitted to the Minister of Finance within xxx days for presentation to the Cabinet;

Cabinet agreed to instruct the Financial Secretary to atomic number 82 technical discussions with the UK Authorities'southward Financial Technical Team in petitioning the Secretary of Country to relieve the Government of the Virgin Islands of its obligation under Section twenty of the Protocols for Effective Fiscal Management and the review and amendment of Sections 25, 27 and 28, to enable the BVI Regime to secure the funding necessary to respond to catastrophic events such as the COVID-19 pandemic, in low-cal of:

1. the existent impacts and forecasted economic outlook for the BVI due to the catastrophic COVID-19 pandemic;
2. the unavailability of grant funding from the UK Government, and
3. the impediment atmospheric condition of the Protocols for Effective Financial Direction pose to the BVI Government being able to finance the immediate relief and economic stimulation programmes on its own;

Cabinet agreed that any and all funding, aid, assistance, grant, souvenir or donation, whether budgetary or non-monetary, received by or on behalf of the BVI from or through whatsoever country or government, person, business organization, institution, organisation/NGOs with respect to the COVID-19 global pandemic, the economic effects of the pandemic or anything otherwise related to the pandemic, shall exist payable into the Consolidated Fund and managed through the Ministry building of Finance, in keeping with the Virgin Islands

Constitution Order, 2007, the Public Finance Management Act, 2004, and the Audit Act, 2003 to ensure accountability and fiscal responsibility through one single Virgin Islands institutional framework to ensure public accounts accountability, transparency and good governance in the direction and auditing of monetary or non-monetary contributions to the Virgin Islands for COVID-19 pandemic;

The Cabinet agreed that the Minister of Finance publicly account and report on any and all funding, aid, help, grant, gift or donation budgetary or nonmonetary, received by or on behalf of the BVI from or through any land or regime, person, concern, establishment, organisation/NGOs with respect to the COVID-19 global pandemic in keeping with transparency, accountability and good governance.

I give thanks Economic Task Force and other key stakeholders who were able to give their recommendations.

Despite these health and economic challenges that the world is faced with, and the BVI is not immuned, as a Government nosotros remain focused on our vision of transforming the BVI into a leading regional economic system by 2025 through entrepreneurship, innovation and local and foreign investment.

Nosotros are going to be the trend setters.

Again, let me remind all of united states of america that as a people we have done a lot to mitigate COVID.

At present is the time for us to remain leaser focused.

The magnitude of this virus is big. This is non a matter that will be going away annihilation soon, so let us prepare our minds and our deportment and everything effectually usa for the long haul.

We are facing and fighting something that we cannot meet.

So information technology is very important what we all exercise from here.

We cannot play effectually with COVID-19, because COVID-19 is not playing effectually with us.

And, if at whatsoever time we as a Government believe that you are not putting safety first and practicing social distancing and personal hygiene, a 24-hour curfew will be reinstituted, and y'all can hold me to that!

Every bit your leader, I am not going to look to do what needs to be done to ensure that not one person in this Territory dies as a result of COVID-19.

Our elders have taught us that an ounce of prevention is better than a pound of cure.

So, let us not fool ourselves this is far from over. We must move in a wise way. We must continue to pray and to work.

I give God all the praise, Glory and Honour for what he has done for us in the BVI.

It is but considering of him that we at present but have one confirmed case of COVID-19 in the BVI

Together with God'due south aid nosotros volition continue to be safe and nosotros volition rise again.

Recollect God is with us, God is with yous, and where God is all will be well.

Long alive the people of the BVI!

I thanks.

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Source: http://www.bvi.gov.vg/media-centre/premier-fahies-statement-covid-19-update-we-will-rise-again

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