The Myrah Keating Smith Clinic has been quite a popular place this week for a sizable number of people who appear to be perfectly healthy — and need Health Department food handler cards to prove it.
According to clinic nurse Charlene Jones, the rush of St. John food-service workers began Monday, the first day back in business for five establishments closed by Environmental Health Division inspectors for the weekend on Friday. "We had to turn about 25 people away on Monday," she said.
Processing resumed Wednesday, and Jones said she expected the demand for cards would continue throughout the week. The clinic normally processes card applications on Mondays and Wednesdays and has the authorized cards available for pickup on Fridays.
The five establishments were closed by order of Health Commissioner Wilbur Callender for a variety of reasons including lack of food handler cards, expired health certificates and sanitation violations. At the delicatessen closed exclusively for lack of food handler cards, the owner immediately sent her employees who said they had left their cards at home to get them.
Meanwhile over at the Environmental Health office, assistant James George said "a lot" of St. John restaurant representatives have come in this week to apply for or renew health certificates. He said he couldn't give an exact number because "we haven't tallied it up yet."
One person who went to renew his certificate was Rich Meyer of the Lime Inn, who said he was glad to comply but wished applications were easier to come by. "It's inconvenient, some of the stuff that you do," he said, noting that "you used to be able to pick them up at the clinic."
Both George and Jones attributed the sudden interest in obtaining required documentation to a vested interested on the part of business operators. "I'm sure it's because of the crackdown," Jones said.
On Monday, while she was in Cruz Bay for reinspections of the businesses she had closed on Friday, Environmental Health chief inspector Ethelyn Joseph said restaurateurs on St. Thomas, St. John and St. Croix could expect unannounced visits from her inspection team at any time.
