His Excellency the Governor, Mr. Augustus Jaspert in a statement to the public on April 4, said that 14 days is the period identified medically to determine if the virus is prevalent and that the Territory now has a unique opportunity to get the next 14 days right.

The Governor encouraged the population to remain indoors during this period adding, “We will have a much clearer picture of the level of infection in the Territory; how we can stamp it out; and how we can put measures in place to control it.”

Governor Jaspert noted that the managed curfew from April 2 to April 4 did not go as smoothly but acknowledged that this is an unprecedented period and that the Government and business owners were able to adjust to make the transitionary period beneficial.

The Governor thanked the business owners and their staff, statutory agencies, particularly the dedicated health teams and Royal Virgin Islands Police Force for all that they are doing to protect the people of the Territory.

He reminded residents that the measures being taken through Cabinet are being driven by the motivation to protect the entire population and reduce the risk of the spread of the Coronavirus.

The 14-day shutdown went into effect at 9:00 p.m. on April 4 and will end on April 19.