Thank you Mister Speaker, for allowing me this opportunity to make this statement to this Honourable House. I wish to provide an update to this Honourable House on the measures being implemented by your Government for the Monitoring and Evaluation of the various COVID-19 Economic Stimulus Grants.

His Excellency, the Governor Mr. John J. Rankin, CMG, chaired the virtual Special Meeting held on 16th July, 2021.

I greet you at a difficult time in our Territory.  Covid-19 has spread throughout our Virgin Islands and has robbed us of many of those we love.  My Ministry is no exception.  Several of the hardworking and dedicated public servants under the Ministry have been affected by this vicious pandemic, and I take this opportunity to offer sincere condolences to those within the Ministry, the wider education system and the wider Virgin Islands who are coping with the loss of loved ones.

Good day and GOD’s blessings to you all.

Many of you would have seen that forecasters in Antigua have issued a Tropical Alert regarding AL94, a weather disturbance that is expected to pass near the Virgin Islands tomorrow.

Good day to all in the Virgin Islands. As weather watchers will already know, there are currently two weather disturbances in the Atlantic that are showing the potential to develop into tropical storms. The first, which forecasters are calling AL94, was this morning located about 150 miles east of Barbados and is expected to pass near the Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico tomorrow.

It is with great sadness that I learned of the passing of former Prime Minister of Antigua and Barbuda, Sir Lester Bird KHN, MP.

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

Let me say once again, Happy Emancipation to all.  August is our emancipation month and this year we were not able to celebrate our four-day Emancipation activities physically, the traditional way. 

Good evening to everyone tuning in locally and abroad, I am Minster for Health and Social Development Carvin Malone, here with a COVID-19 Response update for the Virgin Islands.

Good day and God’s blessings.  This year’s emancipation holidays fall within a difficult period of BVI history.  Still reeling from the most devastating hurricanes in our history, we are in the midst of the worst pandemic in 100 years, which has now claimed more than 30 lives.  We extend sincere condolences to the people of the Virgin Islands who have lost loved ones.

On behalf of the Government and people of the Virgin Islands, I would like to congratulate the new Prime Minister of Saint Lucia, The Honourable Philip J. Pierre, on his resounding election victory and appointment as Prime Minister. The General Election was yet another triumph of democracy in the Caribbean.