The hotel, located in Road Town above the One Stop Mall, is owned by businesswoman Patsy Lake, who is also the mother-in-law of government minister Kye Rymer.

According to a publication in government’s official gazette on Tuesday, Governor Jaspert signed and sealed the order on April 9 to declare rooms 110 to 116 to be a prison.

He did so in accordance with Section 4A of the territory’s Prison Ordinance (Cap. 166), which states that “the governor may, by proclamation … declare any place to be a prison”.

Details relating to who would be occupying the six rooms, the length of time that the hotel rooms would be used as a prison, or the cost to the government were not specified in the gazette.

Persons in custody under quarantine

Notably, however, there are two men - Tambu Frett and Byran Bolan – who were jointly charged for breaking curfew and illegally entering from the neighbouring US Virgin Islands (USVI), which has 51 confirmed cases of the coronavirus.

Frett and Bolan, who pleaded guilty to their respective offences, have since been ordered to be quarantined for a minimum of 10 days before getting sentenced.

The quarantine order was a precautionary measure to ensure the duo does not infect the remaining prison population, should they have the coronavirus.

BVI News understands that the Customs and police officers who chased and arrested the men at sea are also believed to be in quarantine.