KINGSTON, Jamaica – Crab vendor Dwayne Patterson asserted that “nothing wrong can happen” as vendors have now completed their training and certification and have returned to the popular food spot Crab Circle in Kingston, which was shut down last month due to health concerns.

On Thursday, Crab Circle re-opened to the public after being shuttered for weeks following a viral video showing controversial vendor Alice Waugh relieving herself at her stall.

Patterson, who was spotted preparing his crabs, corn and soup on reopening day, was one of many vendors from the popular food spot that engaged in training and a certification programme organised by the Kingston and St Andrew Municipal Corporation (KSAMC) in partnership with HEART/NSTA Trust.

“When we were closed, it was so hard and tough and rough…The Leap Centre is a good stepping stone for us…The programme was good because we learnt a lot of things that we didn’t know before such as how to store food, food preparation… So, now we know all that is needed to carry out the necessary to move forward,” he told Observer Online.

Following the closure, health authorities instructed that portable toilets be installed and that vendors acquire food handler’s permits before the facility reopens.

The Health Department, which cited a breach of the Public Health (Food Handling) Regulations 1998, posted a notice of the closure at the facility with a warning that should anyone remove the notice, or convince another person to do so, a fine of no more than $1 million or a prison term not exceeding 12 months will be handed down upon conviction.

“There should be no commercial operation during the period of closure. Also, any person who enters such premises when it is ordered closed commits a breach,” the notice read.

READ: Crab Circle sanitised after closure

In an interview early Thursday, Kingston Mayor Delroy Williams expressed that he is anticipating that with the changes made to the location, the popular food spot can return to its former glory.

“Yes, I am confident [customers will return]. My genuine belief is that it will grow over time. There may be some persons who will make the decision not to go again and there may be customers who will come along. But I believe over time it has the potential to grow and to be what it was and even better,” Williams expressed during an interview on Nationwide Radio on Thursday.

He maintained that dialogue between the Health Department and the KSAMC suggest that Waugh will not return to the food spot.

“[For the incident], I will not reduce this to say that the restroom wasn’t close enough…I don’t think in any normal course of business, I don’t think any of us would contemplate that you do that… Rising out of this we are focused on continual training and I don’t know what would happen in the future, but as it stands today, that [Waugh not allowed at Crab Circle] is our position and that is guided by the public health department. It is hard for me to govern a city to say it can’t change. There are various factors that can come into play and, as today, with our various conversations with the public health department, it is a clear no,” Williams noted.

Williams is encouraging vendors to continue training and to show levels of professionalism while conducting business.

“I am encouraging them to continue training at the HEART/ NSTA Trust and other programmes to be done and that would assist with best practices, managing small businesses and growing their business. We are also saying to our small operators to display a level of professionalism…maintain an application of best practices,” he said.