Friday USVI COVID-19 Update – One New STJ Case and More STT Infections

New COVID-19 infections continued to accumulate in the U.S. Virgin Islands with 23 new confirmed positive test results Thursday evening, after 22 new cases between Tuesday and Wednesday. The total now stands at 1,075 for the territory. Actual cases are higher, as not every infected person shows symptoms or is tested.

St. Croix saw four new cases while St. Thomas saw 18 and St. John added one new confirmed infection, according to the V.I. Department of Health Aug. 27 COVID-19 update.

The latest numbers continue to suggest improvement on St. Croix but the picture for St. Thomas is less clear. St. Thomas had seen several days of mostly lower numbers, but this is an unwelcome return to numbers more typical of the past two or three weeks. St. Thomas saw 11 cases from Tuesday to Wednesday, 26 new cases from Monday to Tuesday, seven the day before and two the day before that.

Cumulative COVID-19 cases per U.S. Virgin Islands island as of Aug. 27. (Department of Health image)

Those wild variations partly reflect how many test results came back on any given day. Thursday saw 160 negative test results; Wednesday, the territory received 209 new negative test results; 322 negative results on Tuesday, 155 Monday and only three on Sunday.

A week ago, St. Thomas was seeing more than 20 new cases every day and reported 50 new cases from Aug. 20 to 21.

Because lots of things can affect any single day’s results, the Health Department tracks a seven-day rolling average of the percentage of test results coming back positive. This evens out day-to-day variations.

That graph had been showing a downward trend, although cases remain well above where they stood in mid July. But as of Thursday, the downward bend to the graph has a small tail where it levels off.

Seven-day running average of positive COVID-19 test results as of Aug. 27. (Department of Health image)

St. Croix continues to do better, with four cases from Wednesday to Thursday; four Tuesday to Wednesday, seven on Monday and two on Sunday. St. Croix had a large spike in early July, centered around the Limetree Bay Refinery worker housing facilities. That spike has leveled off but the rate of spread remains higher than throughout the months of May and June.

Location of positive COVID-19 test results on St. Thomas, St. John and St. Croix as of August 27. (Department of Health Image)

Risk factors for transmission of the virus are:
Community transmission – 342 cases
Close contact – 522 cases
Travel – 83 cases
Still under investigation – 128 cases

According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control, people with COVID-19 have presented a wide range of symptoms reported – from mild to severe. Symptoms may appear two to 14 days after exposure to the virus.

People with these symptoms may have COVID-19:
– Fever or chills
– Cough
– Shortness of breath or difficulty breathing
– Fatigue
– Muscle or body aches
– Headache
– New loss of taste or smell
– Sore throat
– Congestion or runny nose
– Nausea or vomiting
– Diarrhea

Editor’s note: The Department of Licensing and Consumer Affairs has provided the following cellphone numbers where residents can report activity that is against the law, including violation of the governor’s executive orders, that may put others at risk or in danger. Information, photos or videos can be texted to the following: The general number is 340-725-5129. The other two numbers are 340-727-7226 on St. Croix and 340-771-7226 on St. Thomas. You can also call 911 to report serious crimes.