The Ministry of Health and Social Development has successfully stood up its first Health Emergency Operations Centre to lead the COVID-19 response.

Good afternoon to all those living and visiting the Virgin Islands.  A meeting was convened earlier today with the Premier, Deputy Premier, Minister of Health and Social Development and representatives of key response agencies across the public service to discuss the current global outbreak of COVID-19. I

Fellow Virgin Islanders, residents and friends, the Ministry of Health and Social Development together with all relevant agencies of the Government of the Virgin Islands continue to closely monitor the rapid international and regional spread of the novel Coronavirus Disease COVID-19, and apply all necessary precautions to prevent the importation or transmission of the disease in the British Virgin Islands.

The Government of the British Virgin Islands assures the public that there is no confirmed case of the novel coronavirus disease COVID-19 in the British Virgin Islands.

After consultation with the Chief Medical Officer (CMO) and other senior health officials, a decision was made that cruise ship M/V Costa Favolosa will not be allowed to call on the Virgin Islands today.

Coronaviruses are a group of viruses that can cause mild to moderate upper-respiratory tract illnesses like the common cold that can progress to more severe and fatal infections such as Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome. As a group, coronaviruses are common across the world. At the end of 2019 new strain of coronavirus was detected in Wuhan City, China and later named coronavirus disease 2019 (or COVID-19) by the World Health Organisation (WHO).  On January 30, 2020 the WHO declared COVID-19 a Public Health Emergency of International Concern (PHEIC).

Mister Speaker, I thank the Honourable Minister for Health and Social Development and his team for keeping the public informed about the status of the virus and how the Territory is mitigating the risks associated with its outbreak.

At the Ministry of Health, we monitor disease outbreaks and health emergencies at home and abroad, including Dengue, Chikungunya and TB, through to emerging threats such as the outbreak of the novel (new) coronavirus in Wuhan, China.

I extend greeting to residents and visitors of the Virgin Islands;

The Ministry of Health and Social Development has been carefully monitoring the 2019-Novel-Coronavirus outbreak and are working closely with the Caribbean Public Health Agency, which is providing frequent updates in line with the World Health Organization (who).