U.S. VIRGIN ISLANDS — During Monday’s weekly Government House briefing, Geographic Information System (GIS) Director Chris George from the Office of the Lieutenant Governor (LGO) announced the launch of the Territory-wide phase of the Street Addressing Initiative and an upcoming town hall meeting on St. John.
“The street addressing initiative is a project begun by the Office of the Lieutenant Governor to create a nationally standardized addressing scheme for entire Territory, that is all the major islands, outlying cays that have roads, as well as the street signage that goes along with those street names” Director George said.
The LGO is funding the street addressing initiative with $5.09 million in funding through the Virgin Islands Housing Finance Authority Community Development Block Grant program.
Director George said the first part of this phase will be the completion of street-naming on St. John, and the LGO will host a town hall meeting to get residents’ input and answer any questions at the Cleone H. Creque Legislative Hall in Cruz Bay at 6 p.m. on Thursday, November 17.
“So, St. John will be the first island in the Virgin Islands that will have a standardized addressing system,” he said. “As well, it is a historic milestone where we will be the first Caribbean island to have an entire addressing scheme from town to tip, the entire island and not just the townships.”
When the project is completed, the USVI also will be the first U.S. Territory to have a standardized addressing system.
“So that puts the Virgin Islands on an escalating level of improvements on our critical infrastructure,” Director George said.
Director George said residents in the rest of the Territory should start getting together in their neighborhoods and homeowners associations and community groups to begin the naming process. The Office of the Lieutenant Governor has comprehensive information about the naming process and a number of tools available for residents to use for that process on its Street Addressing Initiative website at sites.google.com/view/usvi-sai/.
COVID-19 cases
During Monday’s weekly Government House briefing, Territorial Epidemiologist Dr. Esther Ellis said the Department of Health has instituted new COVID-19 vaccination schedules as follows:
St. Croix – 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Mondays-Thursdays
St. Thomas – 9 a.m. to noon and 1:30 to 3:30 p.m. Mondays-Fridays
Dr. Ellis also said that residents who would like to get a flu vaccine should call 340-774-7477 to make an appointment and that it is safe to get a flu vaccination the same time as getting a COVID-19 vaccination or booster shot.
When getting a COVID-19 booster, residents should bring their vaccination card and a photo ID.
COVID-19 vaccinations and flu vaccinations for children ages 6 months and older are available by appointment at the Maternal and Child Health Clinics in both districts.
To schedule an appointment, call:
St. Croix – 340-244-0016
St. Thomas – 340-777-8804 ext. 2600
St. John – 340-776-6400
COVID-19 cases as of November 7
• Currently tracking 43 active cases (31 STX; 12 STT; 0 STJ)
• There is 1 COVID-19 patient hospitalized at Luis Hospital on St. Croix.
• There is 1 COVID-19 patient hospitalized at Schneider Regional Medical Center on St. Thomas.
The COVID-19 testing schedule remains the same:
St. Croix – Monday through Friday, 9:30 a.m. to 10:30 a.m. in the Charles Harwood Memorial parking lot
St. Thomas – Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, and Friday – 9:30 a.m. to 10:30 a.m. at the Schneider Regional Medical Center loading dock
St. John – Wednesday from noon to 3 p.m. in the Port Authority gravel lot.
Anyone who thinks they may have contracted COVID-19 can call the Epidemiology hotline at 340-712-6299 (STX) or 340-776-1519 (STT-STJ).
For more information, visit covid19usvi.com.
RSV
Dr. Ellis also advised residents that the Respiratory Syncytial Virus (RSV) has been detected in the USVI.
RSV is a respiratory infection typically experienced by children but can also affect adults and present with
severe complications in those with weakened immune systems. RSV is extremely common in children younger than 2 years of age and usually causes mild symptoms such as fever, cough, and runny nose.
However, RSV also can cause pneumonia or bronchiolitis, which are lung infections requiring oxygen and antibiotics in a hospital setting. RSV can cause various complications depending on a person’s age and health status.
National RSV cases are high with a significant rise in pediatric hospitalizations, and V.I. hospitals
report several treated cases of RSV in the fall months, according to Dr. Ellis. The Schneider Regional Medical Center reports 6 hospitalizations and the Juan F. Luis Medical Center reports 1 hospitalization during this
fall season.
RSV, influenza, and COVID-19 can cause very similar symptoms and complications. Coinfections
with more than 1 of these viruses can occur and cause worse outcomes.
The Department of Health is urging parents to vaccinate their children ages 6 months and older against influenza and COVID-19. There is currently no vaccine for RSV, and residents should conduct respiratory hygiene with frequent hand-washing, coughing into elbows/tissue, and staying at home while sick.
Monkeypox
Dr. Ellis also said Monday that the Territory still has no confirmed cases of Monkeypox.
To learn more about being eligible for a free monkeypox vaccination, call 340-690-6301.
For more information about monkeypox, use the “Communicable Disease” tab on the Department of Health website at doh.vi.gov.
The Bryan-Roach Administration is investing in the Territory’s people, infrastructure and future through transparency, stabilizing the economy, restoring trust in the government and ensuring that recovery projects are completed as quickly as possible. Visit transparency.vi.gov