Health Dept Orders a School canteen and a Supermarket Closed. The St. James Health Department has ordered the immediate closure of the Cornwall College canteen due to health concerns.
The directive was issued on Thursday and will remain in place until further notice.
“It gives us no pleasure to order the canteen closed, but we had no choice …. We were trying to work through the issues with the school. However, we were not getting anywhere with it,” Lennox Wallace, the head of the St James Public Health Services, told the media on Thursday, February 20, 2025.
Wallace stated that the school’s management is fully aware of what actions need to be taken to address the situation. The health dept is prepared to assist them throughout the process.
“We are prepared to collaborate with them [school’s administrators]. We understand the importance of keeping the boys in school. Their education should not be disrupted,” continued Wallace.
“If the situation gets rectified today, we are ready to proceed. We can give them the green light to re-open the canteen tomorrow,” he added.
Due to the closure of the canteen, the school decided to shift students from face-to-face classes to online teaching.
A source close to the school spoke to The STAR. They informed them that the health department did not make the decision to suspend face-to-face classes. The school’s administration made this decision due to the disruption caused by the closure of the canteen.
Efforts to get an official response from the school’s administration were unsuccessful.
South East Regional Health Dept ordered Joong Supermarket in Portmore closed.
The South East Regional Health Authority (SERHA) has ordered the closure of Joong Supermarket, located on Newlands Road in Portmore, St Catherine. The closure is due to violations of the Public Health (Food Handling) Regulations.
The health dept closure notice, dated February 19, is signed by St Catherine’s Medical Officer of Health, Dr Francia Prosper-Chen. It will remain in effect until further notice.
On Thursday morning, Loop News found the supermarket closed, although a hardware store on the same premises was still open.
Loop News reported their observations. Workers wore gloves as they sprayed down shelves outside the supermarket. Two pest control vans were parked nearby.
At the entrance, clear signs informed customers that the supermarket was temporarily closed for essential maintenance. Management apologized for the inconvenience.
A separate notice stated that deliveries are not allowed until further notice. Nevertheless, at 11:25 a.m., a delivery truck arrived, picked up a man from the premises, and then left.
The health dept has issued a warning. They state that removing or defacing the closure notice may lead to a fine of up to $1 million. Violators may also face imprisonment for up to 12 months. Furthermore, entering the premises during the closure period is considered a violation of the order.