US Virgin Islands — The Division of Environmental Health asked me to remind Carnival Vendors of the permitting procedures for the 2022 St. John Carnival.

Vendors must meet the following requirements:

1. Vendors must pay a health permit fee of one hundred dollars ($100.00) due this Wednesday, June 15, at the latest. The fee will be waived if all of the employees working in the booth are fully vaccinated.
2. All mobile operators with annual Health Permits must be in good standing and the vendor must operate from the unit.
3. All participants engaging in the sale of food and beverages must have valid health cards. For participants who are traveling from the states, a ServSafe Certification will be honored in lieu of a health card.
4. Vendors must pass a health inspection and remain in compliance with the Food Code throughout the event. Inspections and assessments will be held on Wednesday, June 29th, and vendors who are in compliance with the Food Code will receive a permit to begin operation on Thursday, June 30th .

Inspection Reminders:

Due to the lifting of COVID-19 guidance, we cannot mandate mask-wearing, but the Department of Health encourages participants to wear their masks when in large groups.

The Division of Environmental Health stresses the importance of frequent hand washing, avoiding handshaking, no barehand contact with ready-to-eat food, and the absolute necessity of frequent cleaning and sanitizing the surfaces employees and customers may come in contact with

• Have hand sanitizer readily available at all times for employees and for customers.
• Have ample water, soap, towels, disinfectant, and sanitizer for frequent cleaning as well as for frequent hand washing.
• Keep cold foods cold and keep hot foods hot.
• Ice for consumption must be separated from ice used for cooling food to avoid cross-contamination and food-borne illnesses

More information on food safety and contact information for The Environmental Health Division can be found at https://doh.vi.gov/programs/environmental-health

Vendor Requirements for 2022 St. John Carnival can be found on the VI Department of Health Facebook page and by emailing inspection.deh@doh.vi.gov

Additional Health Card Information:

All participants are required to obtain a health card if engaging in the sale of food and beverages. For participants who are traveling from the states, a ServSafe Certification will be honored in lieu of a health card.

For participants on St. John, stool specimen containers can be obtained at Myrah Keating or Morris De Castro Clinic. Carry your specimen to Morris De Castro Clinic Monday – Friday 7:30 am – 12:00 noon and allow for a 2-3 days process of the results. Return to register and obtain an appointment to complete the health card process during the hours of 8:30 am – 1-:30 pm Monday – Friday.

For participants on St. Thomas, Health Cards are processed Monday – Friday from 8:30 am – 1:00 pm and 2:00 pm – 3:00 pm. Clients are encouraged to take their specimens to a lab of their choice

• If the specimen was taken to a private lab, bring printed results and a valid government issued id to the Division of Environmental Health to complete the process and obtain the health card
• If the specimen was taken to the Roy Lester Schneider Hospital lab, it needs to be dropped off before 10:00 am for same-day processing and results. Bring the results and a valid government-issued id to the Division of Environmental Health at approximately 1:10 pm to complete the process and obtain the health cards.