Mapp Alters Curfew; Some Schools Open In St. Thomas; Charles Harwood Facility Closed Until Further Notice

ST. CROIX — Governor Kenneth Mapp during his Tuesday post-Hurricanes Irma and Maria press briefing at Government House, said some schools in St. Thomas opened today for classes as planned, with a total of 1,814 students returning to school along with 271 teachers. The number represents only a percentage of students in St. Thomas, and the governor was scheduled to meet with Department of Education officials this week to discuss more reopenings.

No reopening school date was announced for St. Croix, and Mr. Mapp again cast doubt that D.O.E. would meet its Oct. 16 tentative date. He restated that seniors on the island would begin school before other students, so as to not undermine their graduation and high education plans. But a date for when classes would commence for seniors was not announced either.

The governor altered the curfew, which he said came as a result of complaints from some individuals who contended that the 8:00 p.m. hour was too late, as most streets are still without lights and the roads are pitch-black. The curfew on St. Croix is now 7:00 p.m. to 8:00 a.m., meaning St. Croix residents have between the hours of 8:00 a.m. and 7:00 p.m. to conduct business. In the St. Thomas-St. John District, the curfew is now 7:00 p.m. to 5:00 a.m.

The Department of Health’s Harwood Complex in Christiansted has been closed until further notice. The facility suffered water damage during Hurricane Maria, and one of its transformers recently blew. Employees who work at the Christiansted facility will be notified by D.O.H. of temporary locations of operation soon. In the meantime, some may be asked to assist the government at the Department of Labor and other department and agencies, the governor said.

Here are some other important updates from the briefing:

1. International Capital & Management Corporation (ICMC) founder Richard Stephenson and his daughter Annie Stephenson, announced a $5 million donation to the U.S. Virgin Islands for Hurricanes Irma and Maria relief. The funds will be administered through the Community Foundation of the Virgin Islands.
2. Department of Labor has printed over 300 unemployment checks following the storms, and plans to continue working on issuing unemployment payments.
3. The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services offered to spray the territory to eradicate mosquitoes, but Mr. Mapp said his administration refused the offer because of concerns that the chemicals used to kill the mosquitoes would get into people’s cisterns and in homes without proper roofing. Instead, the administration intends to order an abundance of mosquito repellants and distribute them territory-wide.
4. Mr. Mapp said commercial travel has been picking up, although he noted that the number was not at the 25,000 seats that were accommodated in the territory each week before the storms.
5. Cruise lines are eager to return to the USVI, Mr. Mapp revealed, stating that interest in St. Croix is particularly high.
6. On Thursday, 265 linemen, along with their equipment will be in the territory to start in earnest the heavy power restoration push. WAPA is aiming to have 90 percent of the USVI restored by Christmas.
7. As of Monday, FEMA had installed 282 blue roofs territory-wide, a number the governor views as dismal.