Madam Speaker I am pleased to inform this Honourable House that the Department of Waste Management has resumed clearing roadside overgrowth and removing litter along the main roads on Tortola.

Madam Speaker, the Ministry of Health and Social Development continues to monitor regional and global health trends that could impact the Virgin Islands, and is pleased to note that current statistics show a significant reduction in the transmission and impact of COVID-19 worldwide.  Recent reports from the World Health Organisation (WHO) indicate considerably lower rates of COVID-19 cases and deaths compared to 2021 and the beginning of 2022.  However, there have been increasing numbers of new COVID-19 infections and deaths observed in specific countries – namely, the United States of America, Russia, and Brazil.  Regionally, the Caribbean Public Health Agency (CARPHA) has reported very marginal increases in COVID-19 related deaths and cases among its member states. However, it is important interpret the current trends cautiously, as most countries have seen an overall decrease in testing.  After almost two years of strict public health measures, most countries have returned to normal operations and pre-pandemic behaviours and activities. 

Question 1
Madam Speaker, would the Honourable Minister for Health and Social Development please provide a complete listing of capital projects approved and undertaken by the BVI Health Authority during the period 2015 through 2022, inclusive of contractors, contract sums, scope of works, commencement, and completion dates?

The advocacy continues at COP27 in Sharm El-Sheik, Egypt.

As Minister, I continue to seek to solidify the BVI’s partnerships across various sectors.

Madam Speaker, over the weekend, I made an announcement pertaining to the change in some of the requirements for foreign based charter vessels.

Madam Speaker, I thank you for the opportunity to update this Honourable House and the entire territory about the Ministry’s commitment to continuous professional development for educators to support the development of skills, the expansion of knowledge and the efficacy of instruction. The theme for the 2022-2023 school year is “Virgin Islands Education: Moving Full S.T.E.A.M. Ahead.”

Madam Speaker, PowerSchool is the Student Information System used by the Ministry of Education, Youth Affairs and Sports to digitize and store students’ data. PowerSchool is an internet-based student information system that is used in our public schools.  It functions either independently or with other computer applications to provide educators with robust tools for viewing, storing, and retrieving students’ data.

Madam Speaker, I thank you for the opportunity to update this Honourable House and this Community on Innovation Week 2022.  The Ministry of Education, Youth Affairs, and Sports is committed to redesigning and reimagining the concept of education to meet the needs of diverse students in our classrooms and schools.

Madam Speaker, you will recall that with the closure of the Althea Scatliffe Primary School on June 16th, 2022, the Ministry of Education, Youth Affairs and Sports moved with haste to find the best solution to house the students of that school to enable education continuity. It was proposed and announced by the Ministry that the best solution was to use the spaces available at the Enis Adams Primary School and the Francis Lettsome Primary School to house the students after the spaces have been rehabilitated and retrofitted.

I am presently at the United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP27) in Sharm El-Sheik, Egypt, as a key player in the representation of overseas territories and small-island developing states, whose livelihoods are increasingly affected by the effects of climate change.