Public officials touched on a wide range of concerns during a Tuesday briefing at Government House. Lt. Gov. Tregenza Roach said uncertainty in financial markets and U.S.-imposed tariffs are risks to government investments and could raise the price Virgin Islanders pay for imported goods. V.I. Health Commissioner Justa Encarnacion said very low vaccination rates make the territory vulnerable to the mainland’s deadly measles outbreak.
Not all the news was dire, however. Roach said a deal with the British Virgin Islands was likely to lessen dramatic charter yacht fee increases proposed earlier this year. Industry insiders in the USVI and the BVI warned ballooning taxes on sailing between the islands could sink small charter businesses. Leaders from each territory met earlier this month and plan to meet again in late April.
“We’ve been focusing on an agreement with the British Virgin Islands that will allow people to come to this area and have a wonderful marine experience without regard to boundaries,” Roach said.
Some of the fees slated to increase haven’t changed in 30 years, Roach said. He was not surprised the BVI wanted to generate as much revenue as possible.
“When you sit at a negotiating table, you have to be alert to what is important to the persons sitting across from you,” Roach said, adding that there were key differences between USVI and BVI. “One big difference is they have a lot of control over who comes into their territory.”
Secondly, he said, the BVI does not get the level of financial support from London that the USVI gets from Washington.
“They are largely self-sufficient. The British experience with colonialism has not been one where they send you lots of money. The categorical grants, the kind of relief we get through something like the Federal Emergency Management Authority, et cetera, they don’t have that. When they have a hurricane, they have to build back them place themselves,” Roach said. “We recognize their need to generate revenue.”
Both sides were looking to find common ground, he said. Although there will very likely be some fee increase, it wouldn’t be as dire as first predicted.
“We brought them to a place of movement” that would avoid the extraordinary increases proposed by the BVI House of Assembly,” he said. “Everybody was in a spirit of compromise.”
Roach also said the USVI has had a strong tourism sector in recent months and expectations were high for the upcoming Revenue Estimating Conference, which will be held on Friday at the “360 Harbor” building located in Yacht Haven Grande on St. Thomas. Virtual viewing access will be livestreamed on the Facebook pages of the Office of Management and Budget, WTJX, and Government House
“We will really be looking at all the collections we are expecting to take in this year. There are some increases we are expecting, particularly in the tourism sector as people continue to make this their first choice to visit in the Caribbean. We are expecting some positive impact from that but we are concerned about finances just as any other state or territory is in this very fragile moment,” he said.
More dire, Encarnacion said the territory’s vast unvaccinated population could soon compromise public health.
The Centers for Disease Control reports more than 300 confirmed cases of measles on the mainland so far this year, Encarnacion said, including two deaths, both of whom had not had the measles-mumps-rubella vaccine: an unvaccinated child in Texas and an unvaccinated adult in New Mexico.
“Ninety-five percent of reported cases were among people who were unvaccinated or their vaccine status was unknown,” she said. “We strongly encourage all residents, particularly those traveling internationally, to be up to date on their MMR vaccinations.”
Young children are at highest risk for severe measles complications, yet just 44.32 percent of the territory’s children between 12 months and six years old have had at least one MMR inoculation.
“With the territory’s overall vaccination rates at approximately between 44 to 60 percent, we remain very concerned about the spread of measles across the U.S. and its potential impact on the territory,” she said.
Herd immunity, where the amount of infectious disease is so low that even people without the vaccine are at little risk, requires 95 percent of the population to be vaccinated.
“Even people who are not immune are protected because the spread of disease is significantly reduced,” she said.
Encarnacion urged people concerned with vaccinations to seek accurate science-based information. She warned against misinformation that runs contrary to more than two centuries of vaccine research.
“With the crisis we are facing nationally, we urge parents to get their children vaccinated as soon as possible,” she said.
Territorial Epidemiologist Dr. Esther Ellis answered questions on social media during the public briefing, saying adults who had both doses of the MMR vaccine as children do not need boosters.
The MMR vaccine is available at the following locations for children: on St. Thomas at the East End Medical Center, Partners 4Kids, ANS Pediatrics PLLC, Wilson Healthcare Consultants and V.I. Department of Health’s Maternal Child Health; on St. Croix at the North Shore Health Center, Frederiksted Health Care, Inc., Pediatric Care Center, Island Pediatrics, LLC and the Health Department’s Maternal Child Health division.
For adults, the MMR vaccine is available at the following locations: on St. Thomas, at the Walgreens Pharmacy, Kmart Pharmacy, Red Hook Family Practice, Yacht Haven Family Practice, and Wilson Healthcare Consultants; on St. Croix at the Neighborhood Pharmacy, Community Health St. Croix, Frederiksted Health Clinic, and Primary Care LLC.
Hand, foot and mouth disease continues to plague the territory’s children, Encarnacion said.
As of Tuesday afternoon, 250 cases had been reported on St. Thomas and five on St. Croix.
“No cases have been reported on St. John. However, this does not mean no cases are there. It could mean individuals are being treated on St. Thomas, or, individuals are being treated at home, which we ask you not to. Let us know exactly what’s happening so we can provide as much care to you as possible,” she said. “We’re willing to come to you but we need you to call us first.”
To ensure timely support, schools and daycares are encouraged to report cases by emailing epi@doh.vi.gov. More information about Hand, Foot and Mouth Disease is available at www.cdc.gov.
