Gov. Charles Turnbull extended St. Croix’s nighttime curfew four hours on Tuesday.
Since Saturday, a curfew has kept St. Croix residents in their homes between 6 p.m. and 6 a.m. But on Tuesday the governor moved the time up to 10 p.m. On Monday Turnbull said that despite requests from the business community to lift or shorten the curfew, he would keep it in place until 80 percent of the island had electrical power.
Government House spokeswoman Rena McBrowne said that Turnbull toured St. Croix on Tuesday and got a better idea of the power situation on the island.
"I would believe [he relaxed the curfew] because after he toured the island [he saw] power is up in areas where you really need it," McBrowne said. "He kept curfew on primarily for safety."
Acting Police Chief Novelle Francis said that he didn’t know what Turnbull’s reasoning was regarding the later curfew but said that he probably changed his mind after consulting with the V.I. Water and Power Authority and Police Commissioner Franz Christian.
"I’m sure a little more of the island is receiving power," Francis said.
As of Monday, 55 percent of St. Croix’s approximately 50,000 people had electrical service, according to Raymond George, executive director of WAPA. George said WAPA expects 75 percent to 80 percent of the island’s customers to be energized by the end of the weekend.
McBrowne said the governor will base his decision for curfew on Thanksgiving Day on the power situation.
"He is hoping to relax it even more or eliminate it altogether," McBrowne said. "But we'll have to see what happens."
Francis, meanwhile, said one person had been arrested for violating the curfew on St. Croix and that no looting was reported following Hurricane Lenny on Wednesday. St. Thomas and St. John had curfews lifted soon after the storm.
