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COVID-19 has made it ‘financially impossible’ to be open – Top of The Baths

- Quito's Inn closes but Gazebo remains open
While announcing a temporary closure, Top of The Baths, a well-known hospitality establishment, announced that the pandemic had made it ‘financially impossible’ to operate. Photo: Facebook
Quito’s Limited recently announced Quito's Gazebo would remain open; however, the multimillion-dollar hotel, Quito's Inn, would remain closed. Photo: VINO/File
Quito’s Limited recently announced Quito's Gazebo would remain open; however, the multimillion-dollar hotel, Quito's Inn, would remain closed. Photo: VINO/File
VALLEY, Virgin Gorda, VI- The ongoing COVID-19 pandemic has severely impacted the bottom line of many restaurants in the Virgin Islands, including the well-known Top of the Baths Restaurant and Bar on Virgin Gorda.

While announcing a temporary closure, Top of The Baths, a well-known hospitality establishment, announced that the pandemic had made it ‘financially impossible’ to operate.

“The negative result has manifested itself in a manner which makes it financially impossible for us to continue to be open at this time. Therefore, we are giving notice that Top of The Baths Restaurant and coffee bar will be temporarily closed until such time as the economical conditions return to a point where the business can meet its daily obligations,” a post on the company’s Facebook page some 20 hours ago said.

The company said it was with “a very heavy heart and tremendous concern for each and everyone” that the decision was made.

“A decision which comes out of the factual reality of COVID-19, resulting in a negative market for our tourism industry. We truly hope that this period of business interruption will be short-lived,” the company added.

According to online research, the company was opened in 1994 by Charlene and Norman Henderson.

Quito's Inn closes

In the meantime, Quito's Ltd, recently announced that it was closing as of January 31, 2021, for the rest of the tourist season because of the effects being felt from the COVID-19 pandemic.

However, it announced later that on second thought, the restaurant, Quito’s Gazebo in Cane Garden Bay would remain open, while the multimillion-dollar hotel, Quito's Inn, would remain closed.

The travel restrictions due to the global pandemic have been hardest on the hospitality sector and those that rely on it for their livelihood.

15 Responses to “COVID-19 has made it ‘financially impossible’ to be open – Top of The Baths ”

  • Eagle Eye (12/02/2021, 13:24) Like (10) Dislike (7) Reply
    Vip is a set of logger heads
  • Wellsah (12/02/2021, 13:27) Like (16) Dislike (16) Reply
    They blame Myron for a wall when VIP costing the whole country over Bill Gates and Dr Fauci fraud plandemic
  • Small business owner (12/02/2021, 14:38) Like (19) Dislike (3) Reply
    COVID-19 has made it hard for either small Businesses or big businesses. I too run a small Business ain’t right now it sucks. But I’m bot going to put the blame on the Government; but if it wasn’t for the Government I mightn’t have survived to spend the same money that we might have made. Also not everyone who’s not in the BVI have the money to travel and spend like once was. Most businesses in the BVI was tourist oriented businesses; maybe drop the prices a bit and cater for the local markets. Sometime I too feel like closing but I staying open to kinda keep hope alive that we be alright. It’s a headache to be paying people, rent and other business bills when there’s no money coming in. I understand the pain; how long after the massive distraction of 2017 hurricane before we begin to make money once again? This is like Irma but global. The world is shifting both physically and spiritually but the same God from back in the days is the same God as today. Let’s keep our trust in him.
  • Don’t be a Lab Rat (12/02/2021, 14:42) Like (11) Dislike (3) Reply
    The Oxford vaccine had appeared the biggest promise against the virus since the pandemic broke last year. Now none seems more controversial, or less convincing, on the record so far.

    Britain itself is relying on the Oxford vaccine less heavily than India. It approved Pfizer first, and now appears to be rolling that one out faster than the Oxford vaccine, which is widely regarded across Britain as a poor and less preferable cousin to the rest. The Oxford team is now holding out new promises looking ahead but six major problems have been flagged around the Oxford vaccine.

    1. Other vaccines are reporting about 90 percent success while the Oxford trial showed 62 percent success. This effectively means a two in five chance you can get the vaccine and still get the virus, though studies show the infection would be less acute.

    2. The Oxford trial claimed 90 percent success through a part of the trial where a smaller dosage was given by mistake. Just what was Oxford doing making a mistake like that, in a trial such as this, remains unclear. After all, few trials have mattered more.

    3. That 90 percent claim came from a better result with no more than three individuals. Oxford averaged the results out to claim 70 percent success. Those claims of 90 percent and of 70 percent were both rejected by the MHRA, the Medicines and Healthcare Regulatory Authority whose task it is to approve vaccines in Britain.

    4. And now a huge ethical issue has come up – it turns out that Oxford did not tell its volunteers through the trial that it made a mistake in giving them an incorrect dosage. It suggested in a note that this may have been a part of the plan, in blurry language intended clearly to cover up its mistakes rather than admit them openly.

    5. Not least, Oxford never tested the most vulnerable. Its trials were conducted almost entirely in the 18-55 group, in which the overwhelming majority recover naturally. And so now France and Germany are refusing to use this vaccine on anyone above 65 on the grounds that it has never been tested among the elderly – who need it most.

    6. To add to all of this, now results show it offers only limited protection against the South Africa variant of the virus.

    This week, the under-pressure Oxford team held out two new promises. One, while offering some protection and lessening the severity of an infection, it also reduces transmissibility, by about two-thirds. That difference is important; a vaccinated person may be protected, but still may infect others; vaccines can protect the lungs but the virus can persist in the upper respiratory tract. Second, it plans to develop an updated vaccine to protect against emerging new variants of the virus. It hopes to have this in place later this year.
  • welcome to the club (12/02/2021, 14:57) Like (13) Dislike (6) Reply
    The Government mess this place up,, , All the unnecessary lock dowj..We waiting to see when the Sea Port open what will happen, thats our last hope,,Many yachters who are in St Thomas and St Johns waiting to return, along with tourist and visitoes...If they dont open as they say March 1st, the whole industry will collapse and restaurant and hotel closure will sky Rocket....
  • Rubber Duck (12/02/2021, 15:02) Like (20) Dislike (9) Reply
    Bananakeet closing too. Meanwhile St Barts is booked solid, season flying and they have like us had one death.

    I am starting to believe this government is deliberately forcing enterprises out of business so that the cronies can take them over.
    • facts (12/02/2021, 16:07) Like (10) Dislike (3) Reply
      St Baths is closing down along with Guadeloupe, Martinique, and French St. Martin
      • Rubber Duck (12/02/2021, 21:37) Like (7) Dislike (2) Reply
        That the French government making them close. Up till now they have been doing well..
    • facts (12/02/2021, 16:40) Like (4) Dislike (4) Reply
      Yes! St. Barths is open but it’s like $5000 just to get on the island the the expense to enjoy the Holidays. Also St. Barths is a high end Caribbean island. The playground for people who’s not worry about where the next dollar is coming from. Yet what’s wrong with us being “ ourselves “
      • #Facts (12/02/2021, 21:38) Like (4) Dislike (2) Reply
        Aren’t we supposed to be high end Caribbean islands?
      • lol (14/02/2021, 09:31) Like (1) Dislike (0) Reply
        BVI is also a billionaires playground. You clearly don't know what the BVI has to offer. The whole North Sound area is what they for their private jets straight to VG to enjoy. Oil Nut Bay, Lil Dix, Becker, Mosquito, Bitter End, Biras Creek, Saba, Eustatia etc. People will pay those big bucks a night to come here. The other properties and businesses not on VG area will also benefit as they go around the country.
  • Whatþttt (12/02/2021, 17:19) Like (2) Dislike (1) Reply
    These people who own TOP OF THE BATHS of half of the buildings on Main street in St Thomas. Sold almost all their land at oil Nut bay. Land and villas at Frenchman's cay land and business in JVD. Not even the taxi driver ers I ew they were open
  • Seriously. Fed up. (12/02/2021, 17:38) Like (37) Dislike (0) Reply
    These Ministers need to start getting half salaries until things get better,, then they will start thinking seriously, they are joking and getting their full salaries while businesses closing and people continue to suffer... Since in April weve been saying we have to learn to coexist with the virus, create a balance.....Now its another year,,,,,,Naada.. nothing, they need to wake up and start working and stop making excuses.
  • Listening (14/02/2021, 09:34) Like (3) Dislike (0) Reply
    Anybody heard anything from the tourism board? They well quiet. They suppose to be leading Tourism and not a peep. What they doing to get tourist here? Get even talking to the hotels and place like Top is the Baths? Waste.


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