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HomeNewsLocal newsLegislature Postpones This Week's Meetings Due to COVID-19 Exposure

Legislature Postpones This Week’s Meetings Due to COVID-19 Exposure

USVI Legislature Building on St. Thomas (Source file photo)

Senate President Donna Frett-Gregory announced on Tuesday that committee meetings and official activities on the legislative calendar through the rest of the week have been postponed due to a COVID-19 exposure that occurred on Monday.

Out of an abundance of caution, Legislature buildings in the St. Thomas-St. John and St. Croix districts are being cleaned and sanitized, according to Frett-Gregory’s news release issued Tuesday.

The following meetings are being rescheduled: Committee on Rules and Judiciary on Tuesday, March 9, and Thursday, March 11; Committee on Homeland Security, Justice and Public Safety on Friday, March 12; as well as tours scheduled for Wednesday, March 10, and Friday, March 12, organized by the Committee on Housing, Transportation and Telecommunications.

After learning of the positive COVID-19 case, the Senate immediately closed the Legislature building on St. John to allow for testing and building sanitization. Employees and other individuals who may have had contact were placed in quarantine until tested by the Department of Health, unless they were fully vaccinated and without symptoms. The building will reopen on March 17 with restricted access.

“During this waiting period, the building will be closed as a precautionary measure, however, the Legislature remains operational during this period,” Frett-Gregory said.

The Senate president said that as soon as incidents arise, safety is her number one priority and immediate steps are taken to mitigate and address any health concerns.

“As we navigate this global pandemic and its effects on our institution and community, we thank the public and our employees for their patience and understanding,” Frett-Gregory said. “We encourage all Virgin Islanders to remain vigilant to protect their health.”

Frett-Gregory’s news release encouraged the public to frequently wash their hands and wear face masks whenever leaving home. Additional information about COVID-19 is online at the Department of Health’s dedicated COVID-19 website, covid19usvi.com, which provides a wealth of information such as symptom monitoring, infection prevention and testing information.

The Department of Health also can be reached at 340-712-6299 or 340-776-1519.

The Legislature can be reached by calling the offices on St. Croix at 340-773-2424 or on St. Thomas at 340-774-0880.

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