Minister for Natural Resources, Labour and Immigration, Honourable Vincent Wheatley is bringing clarity to the recent National Parks Trust flyer that was disseminated in relation to beaches being closed to locals.

The flyer stated that locals would not be allowed on beaches for specific periods of time during and after cruise passengers are on island to allow for a sanitisation process and after this process beaches would then be opened to the public.

Honourable Wheatley said, “I wish to assure the public that the information that was on the flyer was a request made by a cruise company which was brought to Cabinet and denied. All beaches are public and should always be accessible to the public. This decision was made before the first cruise ship arrived and all members of Government were aware of this decision. As a Government, we will continue to make decisions that will keep a balance between protecting lives and livelihoods.”

The Government of the Virgin Islands will continue to safeguard lives as it reboots and revitalises the economy.