🌱 Omicron Variant In 9 Countries, USVI Hits 44 Homicides In 2021

Good morning, though it's not all good news today. The Omicron variant is worth learning about. And Police Commissioner Ray Martinez has a few comments on the latest spree of homicides in the territory: 4 deaths in 4 days. Read on to learn more.

First, today's weather:

Humid with a shower or two. High: 85 Low: 75.

Check out the full weekly forecast on Patch USVI.

Top Headlines:

1. Omicron, the newest variant of coronavirus, is causing concern across the globe as countries race to implement travel bans and precautionary safety measures. As of Sunday evening, Omicron cases have been confirmed in Botswana, South Africa, Australia and Denmark, Britain, Italy, Belgium, the Netherlands and Israel. The extent of the threat from Omicron is still unclear, though scientists have said existing vaccines will likely protect against it. (New York Times)
2. Police say a man was shot while driving on Saturday night, causing a multi-car collision on the Judy Gomez Highway. The victim had multiple gunshot wounds about his body and died at the scene. The shooting marks the fourth homicide in four days in the USVI and brings the territory's total homicides for 2021 to 44. Police Commissioner Ray Martinez confirmed that his department has multiple leads, but the latest spree of homicides were all pre-planned and targeted. "These criminal acts are planned, they are premeditated," he said. (VI Consortium)
3. Ghislaine Maxwell's brother is coming to her defense. The trial against Maxwell is in its early stages, but her brother has labeled it "the most over-hyped trial of the century." Maxwell faces a number of charges stemming from her relationship with Jeffrey Epstein. Prosecutors say she was implicit in helping Epstein exploit underage girls. But her brother has a different take. "This is designed to break her… And she will not be broken because she believes completely in her innocence and she is going to give the best account she can." (Virgin Islands Daily News)
4. Taste of St. Croix kicks off on Thursday at the Divi Carina Bay Resort and Casino. will be back at its old venue, but in a new area Thursday night. (Virgin Islands Daily News)

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Today in US Virgin Islands:

1. Taste of St. Croix kicks off on Thursday night. Check out the full schedule here.

Social Chatter:

• Friends of Virgin Islands National Park: "The sea turtle protection program has had a great November with 3 new nests and 6 nests having hatched in the past couple of weeks. We are now up to 30 confirmed hawksbill nests and based on nest excavation data 2,265 hatchlings have been recorded so far this season." (Facebook)
• "As the Vice President of the Virgin Islands Archery Federation, I am extremely happy and proud to announce the re-opening of the range on St. Thomas, which is located at Bertha C. Boschulte Middle School. In order to celebrate this event, the VIAF has a week-long celebration planned ..." (All the details))
• Banana Deck and Miss Lucy's - two popular restaurants on St. John - announced reopening plans. (News of St. John)
• Love City Strong (LCS) has put together a “St. John Getaway” raffle for "Giving Tuesday." One lucky winner an “all-inclusive” trip to Love City, complete with accommodations, discounted car rental, activities, shopping and dining certificates. (News of St. John)

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That's all for today. See you all tomorrow morning for your next update!

— Ashleigh Baldwin

About me: I'm the Patch Community News Editor for the U.S. Virgin Islands. I'm here to provide news you can use. Do you have a news tip, question or feedback? Please contact me at ashleigh.baldwin@patch.com.