Minister Malone said this has been evident in the face of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.

“I have seen where the hospital was up to 36 - 37 cases; I have seen where some of these people were able to make it out, I have seen where some did not. We have had to attend funerals, where mothers are burying three of their children, these are sad periods but do you know what is even more sad? What’s even more sad is that we have grown into a society that death is not surprising to us anymore,!” he said during a 7th District meeting on Wednesday, August 18.

He added, “36 persons in a 30-day period, and some people will call and say, “look when you are going to open up the bars?” death has lost its sting on our society, and that’s not good for us! Because at the end of the day, we will fall back into the same era.”

COVID-19 Update

In the meantime, Hon. Malone said the territory has recorded lower COIVID-19 cases.

“The Chief Medical Officer was able to report to me today that we are down to 31 cases.”

He also mentioned that Governor John Rankin has pledged to speak to UK officials so that the BVI can be removed from the “Code Red” list to the “Normal” list in terms of COVID-19 infections.

As of the last COVID-19 epidemiological summary, 24 of those cases are on Tortola, and the remaining seven are on Virgin Gorda.

Four remains hospitalized, and the death toll remains at 37.