In an invited response, the Management and staff of Sebastian’s Restaurant West End Tortola has issued a formal response after officials from the Royal Virgin Islands police force issued a statement claiming that the event did not meet protocols and as such, the event in question was shut down.
General Manager of Sebastian’s on the Beach Hotel Mrs. Dahlia Forbes said “We agreed to host an event in partnership with the 3 G’s band to launch their new single, BVI LOVE, and to subsequently celebrate Black History Month. We anticipated that this event would draw a larger crowd than past events, and therefore we took a number of steps to ensure social distancing protocols would be met. Extra tables were placed outside, and each attendee had a table to sit at.”
Forbes continued, “What we did not anticipate was a handful of rain showers, which forced attendees to leave their seats and seek temporary shelter under the overhang which adjoins our restaurant. It was during this brief moment of confusion when officers arrived, responding to a noise complaint by one of our neighbors. The lead officer exercised his powers to shut down the event, and we complied fully with his direction. We have created events in our restaurant just to keep our staff employed without laying off anyone how would they feed their families? I will not do that.”
In noting that the company has always sought to abide by laws set, Forbes said: “At Sebastian’s we take the rule of law, as well as the ongoing pandemic, very seriously. Since we have been allowed to open for business on December 1st, we have strictly complied with every rule and regulation set by the Government of the BVI. Safety and responsibility are always our top priorities. We constantly enforce social distancing, mask and hand sanitizing protocols. If guests arrive without a mask, we provide one for them. We would NEVER intentionally “flaunt” the regulations.” She further said the reports made by officials was “incorrect and unethical and “served to damage our reputation.”
The management and staff of Sebastian’s wish to notify the public that they are open for business and did not at any point close.
“Through this experience, we have learned several ways in which we can improve our procedures when it comes to hosting events to ensure that everyone in attendance can enjoy themselves in a safe environment. We have always, and will continue to be, a pillar in our local community. We support them and vice versa. ALL of our neighbors would attest to that, even the ones who occasionally find our music to be too loud.”
See previous story:
WEST END EVENT SHUTDOWN FOR FLOUTING COVID RESTRICTIONS
Over the weekend on Saturday, February 27th members of the Royal Virgin Islands police force in responding to a noise nuisance report, were forced to disperse a gathering at Sebastian’s BVI on the western end of Tortola after an event held at that venue drew a crowd that well exceeded the 175-person legal limit.
Both the event coordinator and the owner of the venue admitted that permission was not granted to host the event nor to exceed the limit provided under the COVID-19 Suppression Regulations.
Public Health Order 2020 (Covid-19 Control and Suppression Measures) states under subsection 4 that all gatherings shall be limited to one person per 64 square feet and shall not exceed 75 persons at any given time. In the case of graduations, weddings and funerals, gatherings which shall be limited to one person per 64 square feet and shall not exceed 175 persons at any given time:
The Order also states where the organizers of an outdoor event anticipate that the event will exceed a gathering of 75 persons, he or she shall make a written request to the Minister seeking permission to hold the event.
Acting Deputy Commissioner Jacqueline Vanterpool noted her disappointment to see such a flagrant breach when the rules are there to keep everyone safe.
“Police must enforce the orders as passed and sanctioned by Government. Business owners must continue to abide by the regulations or face the full enforcement of the law,” she said.
While noting the breach of protocols, the RVIPF did not confirm if the said business or event coordinator received fines or simply a warning. While the public is being advised by the RVIPF to uphold all COVID-19 suppression measures until Government makes a change in the regulations, it is also imperative that fines set by Government also be upheld in ensuring patrons, businesses and event coordinators understand the seriousness of their actions.