The territory reopened to leisure travelers Saturday, September 19. "We allowed hotels and other guest lodgings to begin accepting reservations and tomorrow, September 19, they will once again be able to accept and check-in visitors," Governor Bryan said. "But I want to remind the public we are still in the Safer at Home Phase in our reopening strategy."
During the current Safer at Home Phase, restaurants are allowed to return to limited in-house dining and service. Still, they are prohibited from allowing patrons to congregate around bar counter areas and from serving alcohol at bar counters.
In addition, all bars, nightclubs, and cabarets remain closed. Visitation at nursing home facilities is strictly prohibited. All public-school campuses remain closed, and private and parochial school campuses have been allowed to open only after a comprehensive assessment and approval from the VI Department of Health.
On September 19, about 9:34 a.m., the 911 Emergency Call Center dispatched officers to Gold Corner, a jewelry store located on the waterfront, in St. Thomas, about an armed robbery.
The employees reported to police that two masked men, dressed in all black, exited a white Suzuki Vitara armed with rifles. The two men entered the store brandishing firearms. The suspects assaulted an employee and threatened others. They proceeded to break the showcases and took jewelry from the store before fleeing the area.
With the help of citizens on social media, VIPD launched a dragnet for the suspects. Officers recovered ammunition, stolen jewelry, and other evidence related to the robbery. At approximately 2:28 p.m., one of the suspects, 23-year-old Jamari Benjamin of Estate Nadir, was arrested and charged with First Degree Robbery, Second Degree Robbery, First Degree Assault, Unauthorized Possession of a Firearm, Aiding and Abetting, Conspiracy, Grand Larceny, Possession of Stolen Property and Disturbance of the Peace. This investigation continues.
COVID-19 in the USVI by the Numbers: 64 Active. 19314 tested. 18043 negative, 1269 positive, 1186 recovered, and 19 deaths.