Private promoters’ cultural activities allowed during carnival period

by Linda Straker

• Spicemas Corporation not preparing to host any carnival activity or cultural event
• Private promoters will be allowed to organise cultural activities
• Upcoming cricket games at National Stadium will be open only to vaccinated individuals

The traditional carnival period will not have any event organised by Spicemas Corporation, the statutory body established to administer the hosting and marketing of the annual event which concludes the second Monday in the month of August. Private promoters will be allowed to organise cultural activities.

Prime Minister Dr Keith Mitchell said on Wednesday, 9 June 2021 that until the country reaches the status of herd immunity, decision-makers will be extremely careful about granting permission for mass gathering social events. “There can be cultural activities some of which are associated with what takes place during carnival,” he said in an interview session with the media.

“If the promoters are moving ahead and promoting cultural activities and people are vaccinated as a condition to participate in the cultural activities, then certainly I think the Covid committee is looking seriously at that, and there are other social activities that can be permitted with the condition of vaccination,” he said.

“I wouldn’t call it the Government moving to carnival but an allowance of cultural activities. Let us face it, people are under stress; and we have to realise that as much as we want to keep every activity out, we have to have outlets for people and we have to be mindful of that. We as human beings are social animals and the more you try to put unnecessary control on us the more we might revolt,” Dr Mitchell said.

Kelvin Jacob Chief Executive Officer of the Spicemas Corporation said that currently his office is not preparing to host any activity or cultural event to coincide with the traditional carnival season or period. Traditionally, Grenada’s carnival which is branded as Spicemas, would be launched in late April and run until August.

Last year the Houses of Parliament approved legislation removing the second Monday and Tuesday in August as public holidays, but hundreds of individuals defied the law and took to celebrating carnival on the streets of rural towns and communities.

A similar law is yet to be presented to the Parliament, and Dr Mitchell said that such a law is yet to be discussed by members of the Cabinet.

The Covid-19 Committee recently granted permission for sport activities but one of the main conditions is that the organisers will only allow persons who are fully vaccinated. Grenada’s vaccination programme began mid-February and to date no more than 9,500 are fully vaccinated.

A recent football match was attended by 200 people, and the upcoming cricket games at the National Stadium will be open only to vaccinated individuals. The vaccination card must be inspected by health officials at gates of entry.