The stimulus payments are part of the $900 billion in COVID-19 relief funding signed into law by President Donald J. Trump late December. Photo: Getty Images

The [US] Virgin Islands Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR) has received its portion of the stimulus funds to be issued to US Virgin Islanders as part of the second coronavirus relief package signed into law by former President Donald J. Trump late December 2020, revealed Delegate to Congress Stacey E. Plaskett. Photo: Wikipedia

The funds were made available to BIR by the US Treasury, Ms Plaskett made known Sunday, January 24, 2021.

“Since the first round of stimulus payments, the Bureau has been working diligently to disburse checks and I am certain that they will continue to work expeditiously to process this second round," she said. "I continue to be proud of the work that I and my team are doing to ensure that the Virgin Islands is included in all COVID relief legislation. Thank you again to the Bureau of Internal Revenue for their tireless work to get these checks out to our community.”

Earlier this month, Governor Albert A. Bryan Jr said once the funds were in the possession of the government, BIR — with experience in distributing the previous stimulus payments and the data collected during that time — would make payments available to Virgin Islanders the following week.

The governor previously told the Consortium that the funds would be made available to Virgin Islanders, once in the possession of the local government, expeditiously. "This time it's going to be rapidamente," Mr Bryan said, using the Spanish word for quickly.

$600 per adult & $600 per child

The stimulus payments are part of the $900 billion in COVID-19 relief funding signed into law by President Trump late December. Americans (including Virgin Islanders), will receive $600 per adult and $600 per child. The stimulus payments phase out for individuals making $75,000 annually, and $150,000 for couples.

The measure also includes $300 a week in enhanced unemployment insurance through March 14, 2021, funding for small businesses, schools, health care providers, among other relief measures. The agreement also extends two additional unemployment programmes through April 4, 2021.

Additionally, the latest measure includes funding for rental assistance and vaccine distribution.

The funding provides $277 billion for small businesses through the Paycheck Protection Programme, which is the bulk of the $325 billion funding allocated to small businesses as part of the package. Elsewhere in the agreement, $15 billion goes toward airline payroll support.