{"id":1057,"date":"2021-01-08T14:06:06","date_gmt":"2021-01-08T14:06:06","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.vi.gov\/covid\/?p=1057"},"modified":"2021-01-26T12:49:19","modified_gmt":"2021-01-26T12:49:19","slug":"governor-bryan-says-change-in-u-s-senate-majority-raises-possibility-of-larger-stimulus-payments-2","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.vi.gov\/covid\/news-post\/governor-bryan-says-change-in-u-s-senate-majority-raises-possibility-of-larger-stimulus-payments-2\/","title":{"rendered":"Governor Bryan Says Change in U.S. Senate Majority Raises Possibility of Larger Stimulus Payments"},"content":{"rendered":"\r\n
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https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=_DR97v8L3lU<\/div>\r\n<\/figure>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

U.S. VIRGIN ISLANDS \u2014\u00a0During his weekly press briefing on Thursday, Governor Albert Bryan Jr. said the victories of Raphael Warnock and John Ossoff in the U.S. Senate runoff election in Georgia on Tuesday, which gave the Democrats a majority in both houses of Congress, significantly raises the possibility of Virgin Islanders receiving additional Stimulus payments to complement the $600 already approved and signed into law by President Trump.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

\u201cWith the new composition of the U.S. Senate, there is a likelihood that the $2,000 stimulus proposal that was passed by the House of Representatives on December 29 and initially rejected by the outgoing Republican-led Senate will be brought back under the new Democratic Senate Majority,\u201d Governor Bryan said. \u201cIf that passes, the U.S. Treasury Department will add the difference to the $600 to those individuals in some states who already received the second stimulus.\u201d<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

However, the Governor also explained that because the Territory uses a mirror tax system and has to wait for the U.S. Treasury to provide the funding before the Bureau of Internal Revenue and the Department of Finance can distribute the payments, Virgin Islanders may be delayed in receiving the funds.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

\u201cWith that, we are currently in a holding pattern until Congress decides whether the second round of stimulus payments will remain at $600 or will increase to $2,000,\u201d Governor Bryan said. \u201cWe are working with our federal partners to ensure it is the latter. And in such time as we receive the funding from Treasury, we will begin rolling out those stimulus payments to you.\u201d<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

Vaccines<\/strong><\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

Since the Department of Health executed its COVID-19 mass vaccination plan on December 16, the department has received 4,825 doses of the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines and has administered 1,571 of them to date, Health Commissioner Justa Encarnacion said.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

\u201cIn the last few days, we advanced our phase-based COVID-19 vaccination plan from 1A to 1B,\u201d Commissioner Encarnacion said. \u201cWe continue to meet often with vaccinating providers to navigate challenges and to ensure that prioritized groups are the only people being vaccinated at this time.\u201d<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

Per recommendations of the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices, Phase 1A includes clinical healthcare staff, residents and staff in long-term care facilities, persons in need of special care and staff in congregate living facilities (outside of nursing homes), patients on dialysis and the elderly throughout the territory.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

Phase 1B comprises first responders, grocery store and pharmacy staff, persons with immunocompromised conditions, and specified frontline staff of select local and federal public and private agencies or entities that regularly engage with the public. The start of Phase 1B does not indicate the end of Phase 1A.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

Commissioner Encarnacion stressed that the vaccines are fragile and must be stored and handled at certain temperatures and used quickly once ready. She said it is critical that persons in Phase 1A or 1B keep their vaccination appointments.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

The Commissioner said there have been no reports of serious side effects from receiving the vaccine, and she said it is important that persons who are vaccinated sign up for VSAFE, an electronic tool that allows the Department of Health to collect and track data on any reactions that may occur.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

\u201cWe expected some vaccine hesitancy for the initial rollout, but during the second week of vaccinations, we saw a tremendous increase in scheduling and acceptance of the vaccine. Many people have shown an interest in being vaccinated,\u201d Commissioner Encarnacion said. \u201cWe have had zero reports of serious side effects from the vaccine, with one report of a very mild allergic reaction. We will continue to update you on any other side effects seen.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

The next vaccination phase is 1C and includes individuals who work in water and waste management, food services, shelters and housing, finance, information technology and communications, energy, legal, and media with a continuation of those not vaccinated in phases 1A and 1B.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

\u201cThe overall vaccination process is fluid and changes depending on the allotment of vaccines sent to the territory as it becomes available nationally. The territory requests at least the minimum dose amount per vaccine \u2013 975 for Pfizer and 1,900 for Moderna \u2013 which is sent weekly as ordered,\u201d Commissioner Encarnacion said. \u201cThere are no exact dates for each phase to start and stop. We are in the planning phases for mass vaccination slated for the early Spring of 2021.\u201d<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

For information about the vaccination plan or VSAFE, vaccination providers and persons who are eligible to schedule vaccinations, go to the Department of Health\u2019s vaccination webpage at covid19usvi.com\/vaccines<\/a>.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

Unemployment<\/strong><\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

The Governor said the recent Emergency Coronavirus Relief Act also extended Unemployment Insurance for those eligible under the CARES Act, which means the current programs being administered by the Virgin Islands Department of Labor were all automatically extended.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

However, that legislation also created a new benefits program \u2013 the Mixed Earners Unemployment Compensation (MEUC) program \u2013 that provides an additional $100 per week in benefits to individuals receiving certain unemployment insurance benefits who received at least $5,000 of self-employment income in the most recent taxable year prior to the individual\u2019s application for regular unemployment compensation.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

The MEUC benefit is in addition to the reinstated Federal Pandemic Unemployment Compensation of $300, and documentation of the individual\u2019s income will be required to qualify. However, it is important to note that persons receiving Pandemic Unemployment Assistance will not be eligible for MEUC benefits.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

VIDOL is currently preparing for the guidance from the U.S. Department of Labor in the form of the Unemployment Insurance Program Letters (UIPL) and will provide more information as it is received. Therefore, there can be no processing or payments made under the new programs signed by President Trump until this guidance is received and the funds are released from Treasury.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n