Health & Fitness
Nine More Virgin Islanders Die From COVID-19 In One Week
The government continues to push vaccinations as the number of COVID-19 fatalities hits 50. There are currently 261 active cases.
U.S. VIRGIN ISLANDS — Nine Virgin Islanders died from COVID-19 related complications in the past week, bringing the total number of fatalities to 50, according to Territorial Epidemiologist Dr. Esther Ellis. The most recent person to die from the virus is a 64-year-old woman from St. Thomas.
Dr. Ellis reviewed the latest COVID-19 statistics for the U.S. Virgin Islands during the Government House Weekly Press Briefing on August 24.
As of August 24, there are 261 active cases of COVID-19 in the territory, 163 on St. Thomas, 81 on St. Croix, and 17 on St. John. 24 people are hospitalized and seven are on ventilators.
Find out what's happening in US Virgin Islandsfor free with the latest updates from Patch.
Dr. Ellis used the press briefing platform to once again push the importance of getting vaccinated. She reminded the public that the vaccines reduce the severity of COVID-19 and individuals who are vaccinated are much less likely to be hospitalized.
"The vaccines are working by reducing infections and preventing severe illness and hospitalizations," said Dr. Ellis. "We are seeing decreased hospitalizations but increased deaths and many of our hospitalized patients are ventilated. This shows how dire the situation is."
Find out what's happening in US Virgin Islandsfor free with the latest updates from Patch.
Start your day with the latest headlines delivered straight to your inbox. Sign up here. And follow Patch USVI on Facebook to get the latest, breaking news.