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Bars, clubs, beauty shops to be given automatic Gold Seal certification

- CEHO E. Lionel Michael says those entities have already gone through rigorous inspections
Owners and staff within the entertainment and beauty sectors can breathe a sigh of relief as they would not need to go through the re-inspection process for the reopening of the territory to tourists come December 1, 2020. Photo: jafgraphics
Chief Environmental Health Officer Mr E. Lionel Michael explained that bars, night clubs and beauty shops have qualified for Gold Seal certification due to them already undergoing rigorous inspections. Photo: Facebook
Chief Environmental Health Officer Mr E. Lionel Michael explained that bars, night clubs and beauty shops have qualified for Gold Seal certification due to them already undergoing rigorous inspections. Photo: Facebook
ROAD TOWN, Tortola, VI- Owners and staff within the entertainment and beauty sectors can breathe a sigh of relief as they would not need to go through the re-inspection process for the reopening of the territory to tourists come December 1, 2020.

This is according to Chief Environmental Health Officer Mr E. Lionel Michael, who explained the reason during an interview with the Government Information Service (GIS) on Wednesday, November 18, 2020.

“Places like bars and nightclubs, beauty shops and barbershops and spas and so on, we will not be inspecting them again because they have gone through rigorous inspections before. So that list will be submitted to Tourist Board for them to consider them for the Gold Seal certification because they already have our certificate and up-to-date inspections,” he said.

Gold Seal

In the meantime, Mr Michael said the marine and hotel sector would have to be inspected to be Gold Seal certified for reopening.

He said, there is an established checklist that persons of those sectors are given, and the requirements must be met.

“When the country was closed back in May/June and reopened we issued what we call COVID-19 Environmental Health Certificates to various businesses and places. A lot of the villas were closed, the hotels were closed, and most of them didn’t get that certificate. So when we make the inspection this time and once they pass the inspection, they will get that certificate. But, that does not allow them to open their business until Tourist Board gives them the Gold Seal certificate.”

Mr Michael said the checklist is sent to the stakeholders and meetings are held to introduce them to the criteria.

“When we make the inspection, and they don’t meet all the requirements we will make recommendations and suggestions for them to put them in a timeframe and then we do re-inspections to make sure that they do so in short order.”

Gold Seal training is here to stay

In the meantime, Director of Culinary and Hospitality at H. Lavity Stoutt Community College, Keisha Davis-Barnes said the Gold Seal certification programme would continue for years to come.

“We are going to be ensuring that we create and keep this platform going for years to come so that everybody that is working in the tourism industry is certified to do the jobs that they are doing. The main reason that we wanted to do it this way is so that we can ensure that we elevate the service excellence in our country and hold people accountable for the type of service that they are giving.”

“We want persons to understand that you have to be able to do your job within the tourism industry at a standard that is recognised worldwide and you will have that opportunity to do so if you become certified with HLSCC through our American Hotel Lodging Educational Institute brand.”

The programme in question was developed on October 9, 2020, by HLSCC and covers guest experience, professionalism, safety etcetera with the internationally acclaimed certification “START”- the Skills, Task, and Results Training under the American Hotel and Lodging Educational Institute.

11 Responses to “Bars, clubs, beauty shops to be given automatic Gold Seal certification”

  • great (19/11/2020, 16:10) Like (2) Dislike (4) Reply
    The government is working with them,,,, They have their business serious and do the right things,,,,, When they mess up and get shut down,,. Can't blame government
  • Rubber Duck (19/11/2020, 17:08) Like (44) Dislike (3) Reply
    So let me get this right. BVI hotels are considered dangerous badly run pits that don’t display any hygiene standards and so have have to be lectured to and inspected by high school students. But the “ night clubs “ aka whore houses are paragons of cleanliness and hygiene that get an automatic pass. Unreal.
  • @rubber duck (19/11/2020, 18:47) Like (13) Dislike (2) Reply
    1000000% CORRECT. LIKE, I AM SO DONE, CAN YOU BELIEVE THAT?
  • Scary Times (19/11/2020, 19:39) Like (14) Dislike (1) Reply
    This is a crazy move as most of these bars do not practice social distancing and few have proper working (running water) rest room facilities especially in SCB and let’s not forget they where the source of our last resurgence of Covid-19.
    But I suppose they count for a lot of votes............politics is a funny thing........true but sad !
  • See (19/11/2020, 20:32) Like (6) Dislike (0) Reply
    Guess some of the gold chain crowd need the whores
  • Funny (19/11/2020, 22:34) Like (1) Dislike (4) Reply
    THAT IS NOT WHAT HE SAID, HE SAID 90/95% would not need to be reinspected he did not say it was an automatic Gold Seal as its the Tourist Board that will be doing that.

    The Tourist Board will be visiting places.
  • rewrsdffds (19/11/2020, 22:54) Like (1) Dislike (8) Reply
    The bars you allmention willnot be getting a Gold Sealand they do not want or need a Gold Seal fromthe tourists board.

    It is only bars that tourists go to,so no the strip clubs or Seacow bays spanish dives

    You all need to learn wtf you are blogging and bitching about
  • Fools gold certification (20/11/2020, 00:08) Like (11) Dislike (0) Reply
    Just because you call it “gold seal” doesn’t make it any good - and the idea that it’s some sort of international recognized standard is like calling yourself a hotel when you’re just a motel. And, wait for it, the certification is so valuable and reputable, that the prior visits, because of the previous “up to date” inspections passed by an untrained pretend HLSCC inspector says you’re gold seal — What a joke! Do you really think tourists care about the pretend certification? No, all they want to know is that you’re doing your best and you’re running a clean and professionally run/appearing business.
  • Goal seal (20/11/2020, 10:36) Like (8) Dislike (0) Reply
    Is a JOKE. As stated whore houses can operate without any inspections although by law illegal and by practice places of super-spreaders for infections..where are the 'bishops', pastors, prayer warriors and god-sales men now with their ready to go condemnations? I guess they are in the club..
  • musa (25/11/2020, 04:48) Like (0) Dislike (0) Reply
    Who know who is sad news


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