Tuesday, March 31, 2020

iNFO Vi Daily News Update
US Virgin Islands
March 31, 2020

According to V.I. Labor Commissioner Gary Molloy, roughly 1,000 unemployment insurance applications were filed last week as employment for many islanders halts due to COVID-19 layoffs.

The V.I. Labor Department on Monday announced that effective Wednesday, it will no longer accept unemployment insurance applications in-person at its St. Thomas or St. Croix offices.

If you need to file for unemployment insurance, the Virgin Islands Labor Department is urging you to register online to avoid large crowds, long lines, and a potentially dangerous environment.

Unemployed islanders may use drop-off boxes located outside each office, file applications electronically, or via computer or mobile phone. Contact information, along with a link to the Department of Labor’s website, can be found below this video or at infovi.org.

The Territory reports that 196 people have been tested for the Covid-19 virus. 127 tested negative for the virus. 39 tests are still pending.

A total of 30 confirmed COVID-19 cases comprised of 11 on St. Croix, 17 on St. Thomas, and two on St. John is now reported. 21 out of the 30 people who tested positive have fully recovered.

Citizens are advised to be on the lookout for the most common symptoms, fever of 100.4 or higher, cough, and shortness of breath. If symptoms present, citizens are asked to call ahead before going to an emergency room, wear a mask if available, be prepared to discuss recent travel, and avoid contact with others.

All persons are advised to limit social interaction to the greatest extent possible and practice good handwashing in daily routines.

Takeshi Kasai, WHO’s regional director for the Western Pacific, said today that the outbreak of the novel coronavirus around the world will not stop anytime soon and countries need to step up to slow down the virus transmissions and told a virtual news conference that there were still no specific treatments or vaccines available against COVID-19.

While several companies have started undergoing clinical trials of the vaccines, none are yet available for public consumption, he said.

Infections from the virus have exceeded 770,000 cases world-wide, killing more than 37,000, with the United States, Italy and Spain overtaking mainland China, where the virus originated late in 2019, in confirmed cases.

Links:
http://www.infovi.org
www.vidol.gov

iNFO Vi is produced by Mon Ethos Pro and David Whitaker

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