I extend greetings to all in the BVI, the Caribbean region and the world.  Mr. Speaker, the last update on the COVID-19 Situation was issued on 5^th May 2021.  As of today, 13^th May 2021, 32,057 tests were conducted on individuals swabbed throughout the Territory and evaluated at the Dr. D Orlando Smith Hospital.

Mister Speaker, for some years now, the Department of Culture has celebrated International Museum Day whilst placing a focus on our Territory’s museums. Mr. Speaker, if you recall, last year, the celebrations for International Museum Day were completely virtual and were highlighted through the release of a virtual exhibition in a two-part series entitled, “From Perreen Georges to Noel Lloyd: Heroes and Freedom Fighters.”

Mister Speaker, I take this opportunity to update this Honourable House on my Ministry’s support of sports development and to report on some of our athletes as they continue to promote the Territory through their outstanding performances.

Mister Speaker, I’ve been made aware of an island-wide water interruption on the island of Anegada.  Mister Speaker this is due to a transformer that is no longer working.  I can assure you that the teams of the Water and Sewerage Department, they are working alongside with the BVI Electricity Corporation to rectify this matter, in the most expeditious manner possible.

You would recall that shortly after the World Health Organization declared COVID-19 as a global pandemic in March 2020, we in the BVI were presented with a grim projection – based on the scientific data - that unless decisive preventative steps were taken, the Territory was looking at getting 3,700 coronavirus cases in our small population.

His Excellency, the Governor Mr. John J. Rankin, CMG, chaired the Meeting held on 28th April, 2021, which was held at the Financial Services Commission’s Conference Room. 

Good day and God's Blessings to all the people of the Virgin Islands and beyond.

I wish to categorically condemn and debunk, as malicious and fake-news, an article that began circulating this morning on internet and social media channels under the headline, “FINANCIAL INSPECTION: Andrew Fahie risks 10 years in prison for Virgin Islanders using his new app to "get rich too fast"”, and with a sub-headline that states – and I quote: “Virgin Islander citizens are already raking in millions of dollars from home using this "wealth loophole" - but is it legitimate?”

I extend morning Greetings to all here in the BVI, the Region and the World.

The COVID-19 pandemic continues to accelerate, and we are deeply saddened by its rising death toll as health systems and economies far and near buckle under the strain of second and third waves of infection.

A few weeks ago, during the Seventh Sitting of the Third Session of the Fourth House of Assembly held on April 15, I provided an update on the education sector in which I reported that Cabinet had decided to reduce the six-feet social distancing requirement of six feet to three feet to facilitate an increase in the number of students being able to access onsite instruction in schools throughout the Territory. As I indicated then, this reduction has now made it possible for all primary school students to return to onsite instruction.