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Charlotte Amalie
Friday, March 29, 2024
HomeNewsLocal governmentGovernment Agencies Announce Changes to Operations in Response to COVID-19

Government Agencies Announce Changes to Operations in Response to COVID-19

Government of the United States Virgin Islands

In response to the resurgence of COVID-19 cases in the territory and in keeping with Governor Albert Bryan Jr.’s executive order moving the USVI back to “Stay at Home” status, Government of the Virgin Island agencies are adjusting their operations.

Currently, departments and agencies modifying the operations include:

Bureau of Internal Revenue

Bureau of Internal Revenue offices on St. Croix, St. Thomas and St. John continue to be open from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m., Monday-Friday.

Cashiers are open from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Monday-Friday.

Bureau of Motor Vehicles

The Bureau of Motor Vehicle offices will be closed until August 28.

The bureau will waive inspections for any customers who renew their registration online. For assistance setting up an account, send an email to info@bmv.vi.gov.

BMV customer service representatives will contact residents who dropped off documents prior to the bureau’s closure.

All road tests and written tests for learner’s permits are canceled until further notice.

All driver’s licenses and ID card services are canceled, and the BMV will reschedule each appointment when it reopens.

All driver’s licenses and ID cards that expire as of May 1, 2020, will be extended for six months from the expiration date.

For more information, contact the BMV at 340-713-4268 on St. Croix, 340-774-4268 on St. Thomas or 340-776-6262 on St. John.

Department of Education

The Education Department has suspended all in-person interactions with the public in its state and district offices on St. Thomas and St. Croix.

For questions about public school registration, contact the St. Croix District at student.services@stx.k12.vi or the St. Thomas-St. John District at sttregistration@vide.vi. Visit www.vide.vi  “For Families” section to complete the pre-registration form online and obtain and submit the required health clearances.

For general questions, contact the main offices at 340-774-0100 on St. Thomas or 340-773-1095 on St. Croix or send an email to public.relations@vide.vi.

Department of Finance

All business with the Department of Finance should be conducted electronically whenever possible. A customer drop box is available at both offices – at the Security Station on St. Thomas and at the west window before the main entrance on St. Croix.

Any in-person customer transaction will be conducted via the walk-up window from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m., Wednesday-Friday.

Government Insurance Fund Workers’ Compensation Insurance

All public and private entities should use the forms located of the Department of Finance website at dof.vi.gov/forms-and-policies/government-insurance and email them to info@bmv.vi.gov. Once your application is received the department will contact you.

W2 and 1099 forms

GVI employees should use the Employee Self Service for copies of W2s and paycheck stubs by logging on to usvi.munisselfservice.com. For ESS password resets, send an email to dophelpdesk@dop.vi.gov or call 340-714-5049.

Inquiries for W2s can be directed to the Payroll Division: grace.fahie@dof.vi.gov or 340-774-4750 ext. 2252.

Inquiries for 1099s can be directed to the Accounting Division: vanessa.williams@dof.vi.gov or 340-774-4750 ext. 2262.

Checks

Vendor check inquiries can be directed to the Treasury Division: terry.bridges@dof.vi.gov or 340-774-4750 ext. 2192

Payroll check inquiries can be directed to the Payroll Division: grace.fahie@dof.vi.gov or 340-774-4750 ext. 2252.

For more information and Department of Finance forms, go to www.dof.vi.gov.

Department of Licensing and Consumer Affairs

DLCA will have cashier services available only to businesses that cannot pay by credit card online.

Tuesday and Thursday cashier hours are:

St. Croix: 9 a.m. to noon

St. Thomas: 9 a.m. to noon

St. John: call 340-474-2800 to schedule a payment

Walk-ins to speak to a DLCA representative are currently suspended.

To file a complaint or to renew or apply for a new business license, use the department’s website at www.dlca.vi.gov

and a DLCA representative will contact you.

For more information, call the commissioner’s office at 340-713-6916 or 340-725-5129 or send an email to consumerawareness@dlca.vi.gov.

Department of Planning and Natural Resources

All public libraries are closed to the public.

Fort Frederik on St. Croix and Fort Christian on St. Thomas are closed to the public.

Pickup and drop-off services will be available only on Tuesday and Friday during regular office hours of 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Cashier services will be available from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Tuesday and Friday only.

For in-person needs other than pickup or drop-off services, make an appointment by calling 340-773-1082 on St. Croix or 340-774-3320 on St. Thomas.

For more information, visit www.dpnr.vi.gov.

Department of Property and Procurement

The department’s office at 8201 Sub Base and the Motor Pool at 121 Sub Base closed for 14-day quarantine on Aug. 14 after an employee/patron tested positive for COVID-19.

The Divisions of Printing, Central Stores and Transportation in the St. Thomas District remain closed until further notice.

The department is urging anyone who visited the offices between July 30 and Aug. 13 to self-quarantine.

The Property and Procurement office remains functional; government agencies, vendors and the public that conduct business with the department should call the St. Croix office at 340-773-1561 or visit the websites at ww.dpp.vi.gov and www.usvileasing.com.

For Division-specific inquiries, send an email to:

Justification Letters – justificationletters@dpp.vi.gov

Bids & Proposals – ebids_proposals@dpp.vi.gov

Procurement – procurement@dpp.vi.gov

Property – property@dpp.vi.gov

Transportation – transportation@dpp.vi.gov

Central Stores – centralstores@dpp.vi.gov

Printing – printing@dpp.vi.gov

Legal Counsel – legal@dpp.vi.gov

Public Relations – publicrelations@dpp.vi.gov

IT/Website Help Desk – help@dppusvi.on.spiceworks.com

Elections System

All offices of the V.I. Elections System are closed territorywide until further notice.

Application forms for the 2020 General Election are available at the Elections System website at www.vivote.gov.

For more information, call 340-773-1021.

Judicial Branch

All non-essential services within the judicial branch are suspended until further notice.

The V.I. Superior Court will continue to use remote hearing protocols for all or most essential or emergency matters, including but not limited to advice of rights emergency petitions for abuse or neglect, domestic violence and stalking.

For inquiries and/or assistance, use the following numbers:

St. Croix District

Court Administration – 340-713-6627

Office of the Clerk of Superior Court – 340-713-6626

Probation and Pre-trial services – 340-713-6642

St. Thomas-St. John District

Court Administration – 340-693-4110

Office of the Clerk of Superior Court – 340-693-6403

Probation and Pre-trial services – 340-693-6429

Supreme Court

Office of the Clerk of Supreme Court – 340-693-4100

Office of Bar Admissions – 340-693-4129

Office of Disciplinary Counsel – 340-693-4127

For submissions of filings to the Superior Court, use these email addresses:

Advice of Rights and Arraignments – remoteaorstx@vicourts.org or remoteaorstt@vicourts.org

Complex Litigation Filings –  CLDCourtesyCopy@vicourts.org

All Other Filings – superiorcourtfile@vicourts.org

Conventional filings will continue to be accepted at Superior Court in both districts and at Supreme Court in both districts.

Office of the Lieutenant Governor

Offices of the Lieutenant Governor will operate from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. daily, and all cashier services will be available from 9:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. daily until further notice.

Divisions closed to public access are the V.I. State Health Insurance Program/Medicare and the Divisions of Corporations and Trademarks. For assistance pertaining to these divisions, call the Office of the Lieutenant Governor at 340-773-6449 in the St. Croix District or 340-774-2991 in the St. Thomas-St. John District.

Divisions with limited public access are the Office of the Tax Assessor; Office of the Tax Collector; the Division of Banking, Insurance and Financial Regulation; and the Passport Division. Customers can visit these offices by appointment only, which can be scheduled by calling 340-773-6449 on St. Croix or 340-774-2991 on St. Thomas-St. John.

Divisions that will allow members of the public to drop off documents for processing but will otherwise be closed to the public are the Recorder of Deeds, Cadastral and notary service. Customers must provide contact information, and they will be notified as their services are completed. Drop off boxes for Cadastral are at the Cadastral offices in each district. The drop off box for Recorder of Deeds for the St. Thomas-St. John District are that the Recorder of Deeds office on St. Thomas. On St. Croix, the drop off box for the Recorder of Deeds will be located at the Office of the Tax Assessor in Christiansted.

Public Services Commission

Walk-in service is restricted until further notice.

All documents can be submitted by calling 340-778-6010 on St. Croix, 340-776-1391 on St. John or 340-776-1291 on St. Thomas.

Utility complaints will be accepted by phone, and more information is available at www.psc.vi.gov.

Information regarding the scheduling of commission meetings will be posted on the website.

V.I. Police Department

Central Records Bureau offices, Firearms Bureau offices and fingerprinting services territorywide are closed until further notice.

Requests for police/traffic reports and background checks can be made via email to stxvipdrecordsrequest@usvi.onmicrosoft.com in the St. Croix District and sttvipdrecordsrequest@usvi.onmicrosoft.com in the St. Thomas-St. John District.

Processing of requests may be delayed; for questions, contact the Central Records Bureau at 340-778-2211 on St. Croix, 340-693-8880 on St. John or 340-774-2211 on St. Thomas.

For more information, or to download forms, go to www.vipd.gov.vi.

V.I. Port Authority

The Virgin Islands Port Authority port facilities and parking lots on St. Thomas, St. John and St. Croix will operate per usual schedules, and the territory’s airports and seaports remain open.

Administrative offices also are open, but employees are on staggered work schedules to limit exposure.

Cashiers are open.

Phones are monitored from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., Monday-Friday.

The Human Resources and ID offices will see clients by appointment only; call at 340-778-1012 in the St. Croix District and 340-774-1629 in the St. Thomas-St. John District, or send an email to info@viport.com.

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