Booths are to be Registered for Virgin Gorda Festival

PRESS RELEASE – Food vendors and businesses participating in the upcoming Virgin Gorda Easter Festival are to register their booths by March 31.

Acting Chief Environmental Health Officer, Mrs. Yolanda Penn said this notice applies to all stalls and vending operations for the Food Fair, Parade, Wet Fete and Festival Grounds activities to take place on Virgin Gorda from April 15 to 17.

Mrs. Penn is encouraging persons to register with the Environmental Health Division’s Virgin Gorda Office no later than Friday, March 31 to meet the registration deadline and to avoid any delays in operation. Registration forms can be collected at the division’s Virgin Gorda office.

Food handlers engaged in the sale of food and drinks during the festival celebrations must also possess a valid food handler’s certificate. Vendors, Mrs. Penn added, are to ensure that all food handlers have a valid food handlers’ certificate present on the days of the events or submit copies of the certificate with the registration form. Vendors travelling from Tortola to participate in these events must fulfill the same requirements.

Food handlers’ educational sessions are scheduled on Virgin Gorda for March 22 at 9:30 a.m. and March 29 at 1:30 p.m. in the conference room of the Flax Building, Government Complex. Persons are encouraged to register for the sessions to avoid overcrowding. All sessions lasts approximately two hours.

Persons are also reminded of the need to satisfy the perquisite requirements before obtaining a certificate.

Persons renewing their food handler’s certificate must present their expired certificate, work permit and/or picture identification.

Persons seeking to obtain a food handlers’ certificate for the first time are to present the result of their stool analysis test, work permit and/or picture identification, social security card and one recent passport size photograph.

The Environmental Health Division will conduct booth inspections from April 10 to 13, and will also carry out surveillance during the events. For further information, telephone the Environmental Health Division, Virgin Gorda Branch on 468-5110.

The Environmental Health Division is committed to ensuring that all aspects of the environment with the potential to negatively impact health are managed efficiently to enable all persons in the BVI to attain and maintain optimal health and social well-being.