CHARLOTTE AMALIE — The U.S. Virgin Islands government agency with the second-most employees says it will follow a sweeping new federal plan to fight COVID-19 that requires teachers and healthcare workers to be vaccinated, among other measures announced by President Joe Biden last week. “We will implement the president’s mandates

CASTRIES — St. Lucia’s new prime minister, Philip Pierre, has urged the United States and other rich nations to ramp up climate finance and disburse funds more quickly to vulnerable Caribbean nation states, as “fast and furious” hurricanes become the new normal. The tiny eastern Caribbean nation of St. Lucia

PORT-AU-PRINCE — At least 1,000 people were killed and hundreds were injured and missing after a 7.2 magnitude earthquake struck Haiti on Saturday, and Prime Minister Ariel Henry said he was rushing aid to areas where towns were destroyed and hospitals overwhelmed with incoming patients. The epicenter of the quake

CHRISTIANSTED — Governor Albert Bryan lauded President Biden’s call to use federal COVID-19 relief funds to fight the national epidemic of gun violence and said the President’s directive has provided the U.S. Virgin Islands with an unprecedented opportunity to make significant inroads in curbing violent crime. “We have a tremendous opportunity

CHARLOTTE AMALIE — Governor Albert Bryan on Thursday declared June 19 a holiday in the U.S. Virgin Islands following the announcement by President Joe Biden establishing the date as a federal holiday. His announcement came after legislation establishing the Juneteenth holiday was passed by Congress and signed into law by President Biden on Thursday

CHARLOTTE AMALIE — Governor Albert Bryan announced today that the Virgin Islands Bureau of Revenue (BIR) and the Virgin Islands Department of Finance have mailed out almost $25 million in $1,400 Stimulus Checks to 10,000 residents. This week’s distribution of $24.9 million in federal funds from President Biden’s American Rescue Plan

CHARLOTTE AMALIE — Governor Albert Bryan today issued the following statement regarding the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) letter to the cruise ship industry clearing the way for ships to begin docking at U.S. ports in mid-July: “I want to thank the Biden Administration, and CDC Director Rochelle Walensky

HAVANA — Several Caribbean island nations have issued a plea to the United States to share its stockpile of COVID-19 vaccines with the region as it has said it would with Mexico and Canada, calling on it not to neglect its “third border.” The independent island states of the Caribbean

CHARLOTTE AMALIE — Dr. Marcella Nunez-Smith, the chairwoman of President Biden’s COVID-19 Health Equity Task Force, will be the guest on the “Press Box” at 5:30 p.m. on Thursday, March 25 on the Government House Facebook page. Dr. Nunez-Smith has also asked six additional federal agencies to be represented on the COVID-19 Health

WASHINGTON — Puerto Rico’s economy will receive a jolt from billions of dollars of federal aid this year from the American Rescue Plan as the territory works its way out of bankruptcy. Highlights of that aid include $3 billion for K through 12 schools, $308 million for childcare, and $370