Governor Allows Sitting At Bars, Suspends Evictions And More

ST. THOMAS, USVI — Governor Albert Bryan Jr. issued a 24th Supplemental Executive Order that will roll back several of the restrictions put into place during the pandemic.

Restaurants and Bars

Customers can again sit at the bar at restaurants, bars and clubs. Congregating and standing around the bar is still prohibited. Designated bar seats must be situated so that each party is at least four feet away from any other party or table.

Taxi Passenger Limits

Taxis, safaris, taxi vans and limousines can raise their passenger limits from 50 percent of permitted capacity to 75 percent of permitted capacity. If all the passengers are of the same family or group, the taxicab or safari may exceed the limitation on capacity.

Masks must be worn by the driver and all passengers at all times.

Eviction Suspension

The new order amends previous restrictions on landlord-tenant actions regarding evictions, which will be suspended until at least July 30, 2021.

To qualify for the eviction suspension, tenants must meet three criteria:

• They are being evicted for financial reasons or non-payment of rental fees.
• They have been financially impacted by COVID-19.
• They have a pending Emergency Rental Assistance Program (ERAP) Application with the Virgin Islands Housing Finance Authority.

Be the first to know what's happening in your town and area. Sign up to get Patch emails and don't miss a minute of local and state news: https://patch.com/subscribe