“We Holding It Down”, COVID Numbers In The Virgin Islands

February 20, 2021

While some of our neighboring Caribbean nations still have closed borders, the US Virgin Islands has found a happy medium. With a total of 25 deaths in the territory, the positive case numbers are starting to bottom out. Some may attribute the lower numbers to the uptick in vaccines and free testing. The immune system perks of being on an island include the high doses of Vitamin D from the sunlight, the negative ions from walking on the beach or maybe it’s the local produce that is readily available. We are also still observing mandatory masks for entering establishments social distancing is practiced. All these things contribute to better health.

Most infections have been caused by people recently visiting the VI.

US Virgin Islands Travel Advisory

USVI TRAVEL REQUIREMENTSAll travelers to the U.S. Virgin Islands, aged 5 or older, are required to use the Travel Screening Portal, located at www.usvitravelportal.com, upload an acceptable COVID-19 test result and receive certification prior to travel. A molecular or antigen test must be taken AND the negative result uploaded within five days of travel. A positive antibody test, which is valid for 4 months, is also acceptable. Only a positive COVID-19 ANTIBODY test taken in the USVI may be used to return to the Territory. No test result is required to travel to or return to the U.S. mainland (unless the state you are traveling to has specific COVID-19 testing requirements in place).
For more information, visit usviupdate.com, email info@usviupdate.com, or call 340 774-8784, 340 772-0357, or 1-800-372-USVI (8784)

The Department of Health headed by Commissioner Justa Encarnacion has done a remarkable job in keeping us updated with all things COVID 19. For the latest on vaccine locations and the free testing available, check out their Facebook page. https://www.facebook.com/virginislandsDOH/

The national chart below gives a quick comparison summary describing the difference between the vaccines. The prices for the vaccine will differ for US Virgin Islands

COVID-19 vaccine candidates

VACCINE CANDIDATE	PFIZER-BIOTECH	MODERNA	ASTRAZENECA-OXFORD
Efficacy*	95%	94.10%	70%
Type	mRNA-based	mRNA-based	adenovirus vector
Shelf life	Can be kept in a standard refrigerator for up to 5 days, in a dry-ice chest for up to 30 days, or in an ultra-cold freezer (-94 degrees Fahrenheit) for up to 6 months.	Can be kept at room temperature for up to 12 hours, a standard refrigerator for up to 30 days, and a standard freezer for up to 6 months.	Can be kept in a standard refrigerator for at least 6 months.
How to administer	2 shots, 3 weeks apart	2 shots, 4 weeks apart	2 shots, 4 weeks apart
Regulatory status	Received emergency authorization in the UK, submitted to FDA for emergency authorization	Submitted to the FDA for emergency authorization	Will seek early authorization globally, including emergency listing from WHO
Peer reviewed	No	No	No
Production capacity	Predicts it will produce up to 50 million vaccine doses for global distribution by the end of 2020, and up to 1.3 billion doses in 2021.	Predicts it will have 20 million doses ready to ship in the US by the end of 2020, and produce 500 million–1 billion doses globally in 2021.	Predicts it will produce up to 3 billion doses of the vaccine in 2021.
Doses ordered (US)	100 million	100 million	300 million

As we continue to abide by the safety standards, questions about when will we have a sense of normalcy arise. Not sure of the answers but all we can do is to “hold it down” for now.