Lt. Governor Tregenza A. Roach led the Government House Press Briefing on March 18, 2025 and immediately handed the meeting over to the VI Department of Health Commissioner, Justa Encarnacion, who informed the public of the rapidly spreading Hand, Foot & Mouth Disease that has taken a grip on children of the Virgin islands, mainly on the island of St. Thomas.
“We urge the public to be vigilant,” Commissioner Encarnacion announced. “There are currently 255 cases of Hand, Foot & Mouth Disease which I will refer to as HFMD in the Territory. 250 of them are on St. Thomas and 5 are on St. Croix. There are no reported cases on St. John. This is a highly contagious illness that primarily affects children under the age of five years old. Symptoms are fever, sore throat, pain, full mouth sores, and a rash on the hand and feet. While there is not a specific treatment, symptoms usually resolve in typically 7 to 10 days. The best way to care for your child with HFMD is to provide supportive care by making sure your child remains hydrated with plenty of fluids. That is the most important thing to remember. Use over-the-counter pain relievers like Tylenol or ibuprofen for fever, but it is urgently important to not use aspirin when treating viral infections because there is a risk of Reye’s syndrome. So it is very important to not use aspirin when treating viral infections,” the Commissioner reiterated this significant point. “Apply soothing mouth rinses such as salt and water or baking soda and water, which can help soothe the mouth and help prevent inflammation. Mix about ½ teaspoon of salt or baking soda in a cup of warm water. Make sure the child swishes and spits it out safely.”
Ms. Encarnacion went on to explain other remedies and cautioned about how the virus spreads.
“The virus spreads through respiratory droplets, contaminated surfaces and direct contact with fluids and blisters and stool. To reduce the risk of HFMD we urge you to wash hands frequently with soap and water for at least 20 seconds. Parents should monitor children for symptoms and keep them home if they are ill. They should not return to school or daycare until they have been fever free for at least 24 hours without fever reducing medications, and any rash or blisters have dried up.”
She also spoke about the necessity of keeping surfaces extremely clean.
“The Epidemiology Division is actively working with schools and day care centers, providing consultations and personal visits to any HFMD cases that have been reported. So we are willing to come to you, but you need to call us first,” the Commissioner informed the public.
Ms. Encarnacion went on to discuss the recent outbreak of measles in the States, but mentioned that there currently were no reported cases in the USVI. “Still the Territory needs to be very vigilant of this extremely severe disease. We urge all parents to have their children 0 to 6 years old to get the MMR vaccination to prevent children from getting measles.”
Lt. Governor Roach concluded the report, “We would like the public to be very vigilant involving these two diseases, HFMD and measles,” he reminded Virgin Islanders.
VITEMA Director Daryl Jaschen took over the podium and talked about the recent tsunami warning/advisory.
“We all made it through that evening together but there were a few hours of uncertainty,” Mr. Jaschen explained. “I am asking all of us to plan for and participate in our annual Caribe Wave and Earthquake Tsunami 2025 Drill. This is an Earthquake and Tsunami drill that will take place on Thursday, March 20th beginning at 11 am locally. We would like you to show your support by visiting the tsunami zone website at: www.tsunamizone.org. And select Caribe Wave 2025 for March 20th. Maps of evacuation zones are also available on the VITEMA website.”
Director Jaschen talked about an upcoming Town Hall meeting.
“Next week we’re holding Tsunami Town Halls on all three islands. On St. Croix, it will be held on Wednesday, March 27th at 6pm at the VITEMA EOC in downtown Christiansted. It will be a sit down and conversation meeting where residents can attend and learn about what happens in our neighborhoods. Also be sure to sign up for VITEMA Alert VI System to make sure you stay informed. Over 23,000 residents have already signed up. Just visit our website.”
The Lt. Governor reminded everyone that “practice makes perfect, so when a drill occurs please be sure to participate.”
He then informed the public about the upcoming renewal of homeowner’s Homestead Exemptions and the fact that certain deadlines have been extended. Further inquiries on this matter by concerned citizens should be referred to the Lt. Governor’s office.
Next on Lt. Governor Roach’s agenda was the Territory-wide Street Addressing Initiative. As the program begins to pick up speed on St. Croix there have been highway signs popping up. “We are asking communities if there are any roads in your neighborhood that are unnamed to contact us at the Lt. Governor’s office.”
Mr. Roach concluded his remarks by mentioning the fact that Governor Bryan had re-nominated the Honorable Jessica Gallivan to serve another six-year term on the Superior Court of the Virgin Islands.
During the Press Questionnaire part of the briefing, Yellow Cedar Media (YCM) congratulated the Administration on the recent completion of the Ezra Fredericks Park on the east side of St. Thomas. Considering one of the owners of Yellow Cedar Media was born and raised in the area where the park was built, an area that had recently undergone a considerable amount of gentrification, YCM inquired about the process by which community input was measured while the project was on the drawing boards.
YCM stated that they understood there were Town Hall meetings about the park but that these meetings were not well attended. In the end-all certain members of the community feel they were left out of the process. YCM’s suggestion is that for the future there be a bit more effort in connecting with members of these communities that are directly affected by these developments so that they are made to understand the full scope of what is built in their neighborhood.
“Your concerns about gentrification are very valid,” the Lt. Governor replied. “Because in many instances Virgin Islanders are being priced out of homes in the Territory. That is a major reason we came up with the VI Slice Program and the Lt. Governor’s Office Program. In that program, instead of auctions we will be creating a Land Bank. So instead of selling these properties to the highest bidders, the law authorizes us to offer them for sale to different classes of Virgin Islanders, such as first-time home buyers, the elderly, and those that are disabled. This enables us to bring a certain parity to the playing field,” he further explained. “But I will certainly share your concerns with the Governor. I think they are valid and we will work towards making some improvements.”
YCM then asked about the possibility of VIGL losing their casino license or pulling out of the Virgin Islands entirely, now that they have bowed out of developing the Randall “Doc” James Racetrack.
“We have been talking about the way to move forward and we know that horse racing is really important in the culture of the Virgin Islands,” Mr. Roach responded.
“ I would not really care to comment on either licenses or what VIGL might do. But I think it’s really important that we concentrate our efforts in bringing horse racing back to St. Croix because there are many people waiting to see it happen.”
YCM also was concerned about the upcoming legalization of recreational marijuana.
“There is a concern in the media, the Avis in day’s past, and more recently in the St. Croix Times, about the THC levels in marijuana as it comes on the street to be sold legally,” M.A. Dworkin inquired. “If you are going to drink White Zinfandel the alcoholic content is about 10%, if it is Cabernet it could run up to 14%. But both of these wines state these percentages on the bottle. The buyer knows what they are getting into. The THC levels are considerably higher today than they have ever been in the past. Is the OCR (Office of Cannabis Regulations) and the Administration understanding what needs to be done to inform the public as to what the differences are between the various marijuana strains?”
“I believe you raise an important question,” the Lt. Governor responded. “When I was in the Legislature we had the opportunity to go on an expedition before the cannabis legislation was passed. I visited Colorado and we talked about the different strains and the fact that the concern was about plants grown with chemical support and extra lighting support, in that they were very different from a plant grown outside in the sunlight. It also translates to edibles and other products where you need to determine where the level of THC is consistent throughout a bar of chocolate or a brownie. This is now a conversation in every State that has legalized marijuana for medicinal or recreational use. And just like them, we are concerned about these issues, including concerns about banking, how you deal with an economy that is largely cash based, and of course the possible increase of crime.”
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