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UPDATE: Cane Garden Bay Beach reopens to public

The Cane Garden Bay Beach is free of contaminants and is ready for use by the public. Photo: VINO
Deputy Premier and Minister for Natural Resources and Labour Honourable Vincent O. Wheatley (R9), left, seen here at Cane Garden Bay Beach on September 30, 2019, is appealing to everyone to put their health first by staying away from the closed Cane Garden Bay Beach until an 'all-clear' is issued. Photo: Team of Reporters
Deputy Premier and Minister for Natural Resources and Labour Honourable Vincent O. Wheatley (R9), left, seen here at Cane Garden Bay Beach on September 30, 2019, is appealing to everyone to put their health first by staying away from the closed Cane Garden Bay Beach until an 'all-clear' is issued. Photo: Team of Reporters
The Cane Garden Bay Beach remains closed due to high levels of bacteria found in the water following the passage of Tropical Storm Karen on September 24, 2019. Photo: VINO/File
The Cane Garden Bay Beach remains closed due to high levels of bacteria found in the water following the passage of Tropical Storm Karen on September 24, 2019. Photo: VINO/File
CANE GARDEN BAY, Tortola, VI- Minister for Natural Resources, Labour and Immigration, Honourable Vincent O. Wheatley (R9) has announced that the Cane Garden Bay Beach is free of contaminants and is ready for use by the public.

The beach was reopened following a brief closure for routine water quality sampling to be conducted by officials from the Environmental Unit and the Environmental Health Division.

According to a press release from Government Information Services (GIS) this afternoon, October 3, 2019, results of days of water quality testing at Cane Garden Bay and Brewers Bay beaches have shown that the water quality has improved to levels that can facilitate recreational use.

Honourable Wheatley commended the officials at the Environmental Unit and the Environmental Health Division for their hard work in ensuring that the beach is safe for recreational use.

“Water quality testing will continue to be carried out at beaches around the Territory to ensure that the health and safety of visitors and residents are safeguarded,” the press release stated.

It further noted that the Government of the Virgin Islands is working diligently to clean the territory’s beaches and coastlines and “to ensure healthy residents and visitors to the territory.”

See previous article published October 1, 2019

'Stay away' from water @ Cane Garden Bay Beach - Hon Vincent O. Wheatley

- Beach remains closed due to high level of bacteria found in water sample tests

Deputy Premier and Minister for Natural Resources, Labour and Immigration, Honourable Vincent O. Wheatley (R9) is appealing to everyone to put their health first by staying away from the closed Cane Garden Bay Beach until an 'all-clear' is issued.

Speaking with Virgin Islands News Online (VINO) last evening, September 30, 2019, Hon Wheatley said he accompanied laboratory technicians of the Department of Conservation and Fisheries to further assess the beach and collect more water samples for testing.

"We do not want persons to put their health at risk. The results of the samples will not be available until tomorrow afternoon [October 1, 2019]. As soon as those results are made available, a statement will be issued."

In the meantime, Hon Wheatley is advising everyone to "stay away from the beach and out of the water" at Cane Garden Bay.

"It is a health risk. Remember your health comes first," Hon Wheatley said in his appeal.

Hon Wheatley explained that the departments have been conducting water samples testing at all the beaches accross the territory recently. He said the closest beach to Cane Garden Bay that is safe for use is at Brewer's Bay.

A high level of dangerous bacteria was found in water samples taken during the past week by the Environmental Health Unit of the Ministry of Natural Resources and Labour following the passage of Tropical Storm Karen on September 24, 2019.

The beach was immediately ordered closed.

Hon Wheatley said the statement on the latest water sample test results will be issued sometime after 2:00pm.

18 Responses to “UPDATE: Cane Garden Bay Beach reopens to public”

  • resident (01/10/2019, 07:15) Like (82) Dislike (1) Reply
    People of cane garden bay..... these test kits are available online and i been buying them for 7 years now since my children have been coming home with swells and sores after swimming. Since i have been conducting my own tests, the water has never been safe and was always a health risk. The level of fecal matter and other bio-toxins are just insane.....
    • @resident (03/10/2019, 15:53) Like (0) Dislike (11) Reply
      Stop bad mouthing the place. What and why make Cane Garden Bay Beach different than all the other popular Beaches in the Caribbean as a matter a fact in the world. Cane Garden Bay Beach is a heaven to some of the popular beaches I see other places that's always full of activities
    • CGB resident (04/10/2019, 15:06) Like (0) Dislike (0) Reply
      To Resident you post where you buy these test kits and which one. I looked on Amazon most ar for pools or saltwater aquariums. I don’t trust the government public reports. And I would like to test it myself. Thank you
  • watching (01/10/2019, 08:15) Like (58) Dislike (0) Reply
    No more salt ponds to act as a natural filter . What would you expect ? Thank you to the self entitled greedy persons who have damaged Cane Garden Bay with NO consequences . The junkyard looks nice too. People love it
  • HMMM (01/10/2019, 08:45) Like (0) Dislike (20) Reply
    This is a stunt so a certain minister could get a job quickly
  • Reef (01/10/2019, 09:14) Like (22) Dislike (2) Reply

    Bay people just plain nasty with them sh**. Nothing going change about some of them damn beach destroyers.

  • CGB resident (01/10/2019, 12:12) Like (3) Dislike (0) Reply
    What are they going to do with the cruise ship passengers? Next boat due Oct8 then 10?
    • Fran (01/10/2019, 19:50) Like (9) Dislike (0) Reply
      There is Brewers Bay, Josiah's Bay and Long Bay East End. Share the wealth!
    • Bad strategic move to close (03/10/2019, 15:56) Like (0) Dislike (25) Reply
      This creates a mental scar. It should have never been closed ... Our beaches are amongst the best and cleaness in the world but we always try to Scar and be little our own.. What beach is without little contamination?
      • watching (03/10/2019, 20:21) Like (10) Dislike (0) Reply
        Absoloutly beyond stupidity . Hopefully its tongue in cheek or God help us .
  • cruise ship (01/10/2019, 13:58) Like (3) Dislike (0) Reply
    We reading the news. Go elsewhere then?
  • Jordana (01/10/2019, 14:25) Like (4) Dislike (1) Reply
    This is not good news at all.. CGB beach have always been experiencing issues.. the question is how long has this beach been usafe to swim and what if past swimmers (tourists and locals alike) ingested the water with all of that bacteria..this beach is our main tourist destination for swimming..if this news reaches the US mainland this could be troublesome (past tourist swimming there).. I hope they’re able to remedy this situation soon.. why does this keep happening at this beach; that’s the question that needs to be address- the underlying reason.. all beaches should be tested, but ongoing testing should be be done esp. with CGB beach in view of its repeated unsanitary conditions..
  • dude (01/10/2019, 15:10) Like (5) Dislike (0) Reply
    These bacteria can remove limbs if contaminated.
  • Observer (01/10/2019, 15:46) Like (10) Dislike (1) Reply
    The water they tested came from the pond that’s next to rhymers restaurant, the test didn’t come directly from the beach itself, just what’s flowing into the beach since the storm busted the pond open, some say Rhymers restaurant doesn’t have any where to store their waste
    • To you observer (05/10/2019, 13:06) Like (0) Dislike (0) Reply
      Before you come on the internet to post , you need to get your information correct .
  • agree 100% (03/10/2019, 15:47) Like (0) Dislike (5) Reply
    That's the #1 attraction the most advertised. This issue should have been handled privately n secretly. These things stay in the mind Bad..Bad move to advertise indefinite closure..." I've always been told Sea water n the beach cleanse itself...
  • Too true (03/10/2019, 16:45) Like (12) Dislike (0) Reply
    Many of us on Tortola have our own septic systems on our properties.... why can't those folks in CGB install their own?! Also those properties close to sea level should have systems that are "water makers" i.e. all the effluent is make into potable water. Surely in this day & age this should be mandatory!
  • biker (03/10/2019, 18:39) Like (3) Dislike (0) Reply
    Thanks for the news Min. Wheatley but what are the numbers? Safe is a relative word so please provide the public with the parts per million(ppm) of coliform bacteria in the various samples taken from CGB sea water this week.


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