Virgin Islands: Restaurants, Bars and Nightclubs

Conducting enterprise within the U.S. Virgin Islands poses distinctive challenges not typically encountered within the states, but additionally distinctive alternatives. This 20-part collection affords ideas for doing enterprise within the U.S. Virgin Islands, masking a broad array of subjects affecting employers. Half seven of this collection addresses a number of provisions of U.S. Virgin Islands Governor Albert Bryan, Jr.’s July 1, 2020, ninth supplemental govt order extending the state of emergency as a result of COVID-19 that he initially declared on March 13, 2020.

Tip 7: Extra Measures to Mitigate the Unfold of COVID-19 Amongst Staff and Patrons of Eating places, Bars, and Nightclubs and Extra Restrictions for Vacationers Take Impact and the Suspension of the Plant Closing Act Has Been Vacated

Extra Restrictions for Bars, Eating places, and Nightclubs Put Into Place

On June 1, 2020, Governor Bryan issued steering on security precautions that the territorial authorities “recommends” as “Urged Higher Enterprise Practices” for eating places, bars, and nightclubs to observe to keep away from the transmission of the coronavirus and to guard the well being of workers and clients. The July 1, 2020, govt order modified this steering by establishing new restrictions on the hours these companies might function. Particularly:

Nightclubs and cabarets (a class not expressly talked about within the earlier steering) should shut for as long as the U.S. Virgin Islands stays within the state of emergency, absent an earlier lifting of this restriction by a subsequent order of the governor.
Bars should shut between the hours of midnight and 6:00 a.m. every day for so long as the territory stays within the state of emergency, absent an earlier lifting of this restriction by subsequent order of the governor.
Bars, eating places, and different institutions holding Tavern Keeper A or Tavern Keeper B licenses should chorus from the sale of alcohol between the hours of 11:00 p.m. and eight:00 a.m. every day throughout the state of emergency, absent an earlier order lifting this restriction.

Violations of the provisions of the chief order could also be punishable as a misdemeanor. As well as, the U.S. Virgin Islands Division of Licensing and Client Affairs is permitted to evaluate administrative fines and/or take motion to droop or revoke the licenses of noncompliant companies.

On July 9, 2020, Governor Bryan introduced throughout his COVID-19 replace that every one bars are ordered closed. Eating places might serve alcohol, however eating places are prohibited from permitting patrons to sit down or stand at bars.

Will increase within the numbers of individuals testing constructive for COVID-19 have prompted different jurisdictions, together with California, Florida, and Texas, to impose restrictions on companies promoting alcohol for on-premises consumption.

Extra Restrictions for Vacationers Put Into Impact

The July 1, 2020, govt order requires all vacationers arriving into the Virgin Islands by air or sea to adjust to the journey advisory posted by the territory’s Division of Tourism and the U.S. Virgin Islands Port Authority. Presently, the journey advisory requires arriving every passenger to put on a face masking upon disembarkation, full a traveler screening questionnaire, and bear screening to substantiate that the person has a temperature beneath 100.4º Fahrenheit. People who don’t efficiently full all parts of the screening should self-quarantine till examined by the U.S. Virgin Islands Division of Well being Epidemiology and Illness Reporting Crew.

On July 9, 2020, Governor Bryan said throughout his COVID-19 replace that, starting on July 15, 2020, people who’re residents of a state with a COVID-19 positivity price of larger than 10 p.c or whose journey originated in any such state should current check outcomes exhibiting that they’re damaging for COVID-19 upon their arrival into the territory. The check have to be administered inside 5 days previous to arrival into the territory, or a check could also be taken upon arrival. People who don’t present outcomes of a damaging, pre-arrival check or exhibit that they’ve examined constructive for COVID-19 antibodies inside four months of journey should quarantine for 14 days. If a check is run after arrival into the territory and the check result’s damaging, the quarantine will be discontinued. As of the date of the July 9 announcement, this record consists of 10 states: Alabama, Arizona, Florida, Georgia, Idaho, Kansas, Mississippi, Nevada, South Carolina, and Texas.

Each New York State and the Metropolis of Chicago additionally not too long ago introduced restrictions on vacationers from sure designated states.

The July 1, 2020, govt order additionally specifies that passengers on intra-island public transportation ferries or public transportation ferries arriving into the U.S. Virgin Islands should put on face coverings whereas travelling on the ferries.

Suspension of Plant Closing Act Expires

As we beforehand reported, the governor issued a March 30, 2020, govt order that suspended the provisions of the Virgin Islands Plant Closing Act (VIPCA) for a interval of 120 days, or till additional of the governor. The July 1, 2020, govt order gives that the suspension expired on July 1, 2020.