Hotel on the Cay Ordered to Cease Operations Amid Legionnaire’s Disease

ST. CROIX — The V.I. Department of Health has issued an immediate Cease-and-Desist Order to Hotel on the Cay in St. Croix following confirmed cases of Legionnaire’s disease linked to the hotel’s water system. The order mandates the suspension of all operations until the hotel completes remediation of its water systems and further testing confirms the absence of Legionella bacteria. “The VI Department of Health has ordered Hotel on the Cay to remediate the hotel water systems and to allow the Department of Health to complete sampling once remediation is complete to show the absence of legionella,” said Health Commissioner Justa Encarnacion. “Hotel on the Cay will not be allowed to resume hotel operations until approved to do so by our Environmental Health Division.” The swift action follows the diagnosis of two confirmed cases of Legionnaire’s disease among recent guests of the hotel, according to DOH. One guest required hospitalization and intubation in an intensive care unit (ICU), ...