Online travel portal to end June 1 | News
The government’s online journey portal will conclusion on June 1, and vacationers entering the Virgin Islands will no lengthier have to submit evidence of a COVID-19 vaccination or adverse exam, Govt Home Communications Director Richard Motta Jr. reported Wednesday.
“The prepare is to hold out right up until soon after the active Memorial Working day travel weekend to stand down the portal as portion of our changeover from pandemic to endemic,” Motta reported in a assertion, in response to inquiries from The Each day Information.
The final decision to shut down the screening resource will come as COVID-19 an infection rates continue being relatively substantial adhering to St. Thomas Carnival celebrations in April, and big crowds are expected to go to Agrifest on St. Croix this holiday getaway weekend.
As of Wednesday, the 7-day infection charge is at 12.6%, with 633 active conditions on St. Croix, 281 on St. Thomas, and 33 on St. John, in accordance to the V.I. Well being Section.
“There is often a issue with superior charges of group spread, that’s why we are continuing our drive to inspire inhabitants to get vaccinated and boosted and to choose the other important safety measures,” Motta explained.
The Health Section was tasked with ensuring travelers experienced submitted legitimate tests files, and the portal warned end users that they would facial area prosecution if they submitted faux examination benefits.
Enforcement initiatives didn’t consequence in arrests until April 2021, after Gov. Albert Bryan Jr. introduced a crackdown on vacationers attempting to sneak through the online screening system with phony exams.
Vacationers suspected of forging or normally altering the submitted health and fitness records had been normally billed with making fraudulent statements on the authorities, accessing a computer for fraudulent reasons, use of bogus information and facts, and filing or recording cast instruments.
The 4 crimes collectively carry a utmost doable penalty of 13 years in jail and a highest $7,500 fine upon conviction.
Defendants ended up normally released immediately after publishing $5,500 bail, and courtroom documents demonstrate prosecutors have been agreeing to dismiss prices in trade for financial fines beneath the V.I. Code’s civil compromise provisions.
Clifford Harrison Mattson was the very first person charged with journey portal violations, immediately after law enforcement officers stated he admitted to publishing modified exam success for him and his spouse so they could travel household to St. Croix, according to court records.
In March, Mattson paid a $1,500 high-quality in trade for an agreement from prosecutors to dismiss all prices, according to courtroom documents. Superior Court Choose Harold Willocks has scheduled a status convention for June 17.
V.I. Police Officer Annette Foy also paid a $1,500 high-quality in exchange for dismissal of her journey portal fees, in accordance to court docket data. V.I. Superior Court docket Choose Sigrid Tejo ordered the situation dismissed on Oct. 7.
Settlement quantities have assorted.
A Florida girl named Kimberly Environmentally friendly was arrested in April 2021 and charged with travel portal violations. Assistant V.I. Legal professional Typical Nadja Harrigan notified the court docket on April 22 that the Justice Department had been given a $500 look at from Inexperienced and “have obtained gratification.”
Shackera Christopher, who operates in the Passport Division of the Lt. Governor’s Place of work, was also charged with vacation portal violations in June 2021. In October, the get-togethers notified the courtroom that they had agreed to a $500 high-quality in trade for dismissal.
A person named Shan Shan Li was charged with journey portal violations in July. In December, he agreed to forfeit the entirety of his $5,500 bail in exchange for dismissal, in accordance to court docket documents.
