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Stiff fines for tourists & locals breaching COVID-19 guidelines

-Up to $1000 fee for those who contravene the protocols
December 2nd, 2020 | Tags: COVID-19 Virgin Islands fine breach quarantine tourists
Tourists and locals who breach the COVID-19 guidelines as the territory reopens for the December 2020 tourism season, could find themselves paying stiff penalties for breaking those regulations. Photo: Internet Source
A geofence is a virtual perimeter for a real-world geographic area and represents the geographical boundaries that those under quarantine must stay within. Photo: Internet Source
A geofence is a virtual perimeter for a real-world geographic area and represents the geographical boundaries that those under quarantine must stay within. Photo: Internet Source
ROAD TOWN, Tortola, VI– Tourists and locals who breach the COVID-19 guidelines as the territory reopens for the December 2020 tourism season, could find themselves paying stiff penalties for breaking those regulations.

This comes as part of the COVID-19 Control and Suppression (entry of persons) Regulations, 2020, which was debated in the House of Assembly and gazetted this week Monday, November 30, 2020.

Up to $1000 for breaching regulations

According to the gazetted regulations, “A person who tampers with or damages a geofencing device, shall be issued a fixed penalty notice by the relevant authorised officer and be required to pay a fine of one hundred and twenty-five dollars ($150).”

A geofence is a virtual perimeter for a real-world geographic area and represents the geographical boundaries that those under quarantine must stay within.

Further, section 13 or the regulations goes on to say, “An unauthorised person who visits any person who is quarantined under these Regulations shall be issued a fixed penalty notice by the relevant authorised officer and be required to pay a fine of five hundred dollars ($500).”

Fines must be played in 21 days or earlier 

The regulation noted that persons who contravene the protocols or guidelines of the Regulations or otherwise contravenes the provisions shall be issued a fixed penalty notice by the relevant authorised officer and be required to pay a fine of one thousand dollars ($1,000).

The fixed penalty imposed under this section is to be paid to the Magistrate’s Court within twenty-one days or earlier, taking into consideration other variables including when the person who committed the offence is scheduled to leave the Territory.

The Virgin Islands reopened its borders to international visitors on December 1, 2020.

13 Responses to “Stiff fines for tourists & locals breaching COVID-19 guidelines”

  • Yeah Right (02/12/2020, 20:40) Like (20) Dislike (2) Reply
    Like all those fines for not wearing mask or how about the tickets for no helmet or registration on scooter? Set a jokers here. Ain no enforcement here.
    • hate it (03/12/2020, 01:35) Like (10) Dislike (0) Reply
      @year right - I hate I have to fully agree with you on this one. The BVI is better at Making Public Holidays but not failed heavily on the laws they’ve made. Due to lack of No Enforcement they’ve lost control
    • Oh Boy.. (03/12/2020, 03:38) Like (3) Dislike (0) Reply
      Who's going stop a lover sneaking in their lover quarantine Room at nights,,,,,, Who's going to stop close contact from visitors,,,, People will find ways to beat this technology,,,,,,,, It ain't looking good,,,,
  • NezRez (02/12/2020, 21:02) Like (15) Dislike (4) Reply
    That's right. People cannot go to other countries and do what they want to. Every country has rules to protect their citizens. These are different times now and people's lives are at stake.
    • My God (02/12/2020, 22:42) Like (7) Dislike (0) Reply
      your own people don't abide by your laws.
      so y bother to talk about it look jokes
  • rewrsdffds (02/12/2020, 22:12) Like (3) Dislike (0) Reply
    @ yeah right.. so true
  • one eye (03/12/2020, 01:22) Like (2) Dislike (2) Reply

    They still allow the americans to get away

  • We in trouble (03/12/2020, 03:31) Like (6) Dislike (0) Reply
    We are Just following blindly,,,, This serious situation we are putting our country health and economic future in some unproven untested technology,,,,, This Technology need to be faze in gradually while you faze out physical security,,,, But it's a mistake to make this sudden switch from physical security into unproven technology,,,,,
  • Concerned (03/12/2020, 05:53) Like (1) Dislike (0) Reply
    "An unauthorised person who visits any person who is quarantined under these Regulations shall be issued a fixed penalty notice by the relevant authorised officer and be required to pay a fine of five hundred dollars ($500).” I suspect that if the accused is a resident or citizen of the BVI, the Government foot their quarantine bill?
  • Don’t be Complacent (03/12/2020, 06:46) Like (1) Dislike (0) Reply
    This from an employer in the States regarding the CDC decreasing the quarantine period from 14 to 7-10 days:

    “We’ve had a good number of employees we’ve tested on Day 7 after an exposure result negative, but we still kept them out until they met their 14 days, and they ended up developing symptoms between Days 11-13 and then testing positive.”
    • Funny (03/12/2020, 08:19) Like (1) Dislike (0) Reply
      their employees were not in quarantine, they kept moving about meeting people , its called having a life!
    • @ Don't be complacent (03/12/2020, 08:27) Like (0) Dislike (0) Reply
      Yes because the incubation period for the virus is fourteen days but some of the people want to come and quarantine for four days and still think four days is too long.
  • moorings (03/12/2020, 08:17) Like (2) Dislike (0) Reply
    moorings boat on a mooring at Anegada it should be at Pomato Point. All the "approved" mooring points do not have mooring balls and christmas winds are in the post, they need to rethink!!!


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