by Linda Straker
- Grenada at present has 1 reported active Covid-19 case
- Fewer than one-third of individuals eligible to be vaccinated have been inoculated
- Parliament set to approve Bill that will cancel 2 carnival days from Bank Holidays Act
There will be no carnival public holidays during the month of August 2021, because like 2020, the Parliament is set to approve a Bill that will cancel the 2 days from the Bank Holidays Act.
“Notwithstanding the Bank Holidays Act, Chapter 25, for the year 2021 the Carnival August Celebrations under the Schedule to the Bank Holidays Act are hereby cancelled and the 9th day of August, 2021 and from noon on the 10th day of August 2021 shall not be Bank Holidays for the purposes of the Bank Holidays Act,” read the Bill which will be tabled during the 7 July 2021 sitting of the House of Representatives.
Called the “Covid-19 Cancellation of Carnival August Celebrations Act, 2021” Bill it will also have to get the approval of the Senate or Upper House of Parliament before it goes through the final process by the Office of the Governor-General and then be gazetted before it goes into effect.
To contain and control the spread of Covid-19, in 2020 the Government cancelled the 2 traditional carnival holidays which are the second Monday & Tuesday in August every year, the culmination of the Spicemas carnival period which is usually launched in April or May.
The holiday to mark Grenada’s commemoration of Emancipation Day remains on the first Monday of August — this year on 2 August 2021.
Covid-19 continues to spread throughout the world and there are currently different variants of the virus. Grenada at present has 1 reported active case. The authorities are currently rolling out its vaccination programme with the AstraZeneca vaccine, but fewer than one-third of individuals who are eligible to be vaccinated have been inoculated.
According to the latest Ministry of Health dashboard as of 30 June, a total of 20,023 received the first dose of the vaccine and 14,287 received the second dose. The vaccine is administered to individuals 18 years and older, and using the voters’ list as a guide, just a little over 80,000 can be vaccinated.
There is general vaccine hesitancy among the population.
This outrageously disrespectful. They might as well cancel our culture. Carnival/Heritage/Cultural holidays should never be about dollars and cents or economic activities. This just show the contempt that few people have for culture and heritage. These Holidays is more than wine and jam. The fact they use a Pandemic cancel our carnival shows how easy it is to cancel our culture.
It’s funny how we are eager and quick to copycat American culture. Do you think the U.S will cancel any of its holidays. While many events are cancelled or operated reduced capacities there is no need to cancel holidays. Instead more time should be spent to reflect the importance of those Holidays.
We know there is a handful of folks who controls the means to amass and continue to amass wealth in Grenada willl not see the benefits of those Holidays. Instead, Grenadians are seen as lazy and unproductive when it is the opposite.
No one seems to stand up for our culture and heritage. It seems the parliament is full of uncle Toms…
Parliament should spend the time and resources doing away with Queen as head of state.
Grenada sadly lacks statesmanship..
Hugo I am glad that not everyone is a sheep in Grenada and that you are speaking up….. however.
As much as I revile Tyranny, in this political instance the reason for Cancelling the August Bank Holiday is ….Public Health.
So given the Covid Hysteria, I think what the Government is doing is understandable, even if I dont support any of it.
You raised the issue also of… Carnival/Heritage/Cultural which you view as beyond cancellation…..yet this is issue of Culture is something that few value or question especially as Carnival have degenerated into little more than….. bending over in the middle of road and shaking your ass.
How did a Pre-Lenten celebration of Emancipation from Slavery and a Celebration of Freedom degenerate into little more than grotesque sexual exhibitionism and demented wildness?
If thats what Culture and Heritage has now become then I say cancel it now and forever. Because little children bent over with their ass in the air and vulgar wining up in front of little children, is not my culture .
So as much as I criticise the Politicians I think calling them Uncle Toms in rhis instance is ridiculous. They are simply for cancelling taxpayer paid Carnival Bank Holidays, during a Public Health Crisis/Overreaction, so its logical.
You then brought up removing the Queen as Head of State and there was a time when I would have agreed with you.
However as much as the Queen is just a symbolic Head of State that do nothing to protect the values of Grenada let alone the United Kingdom….I believe when compared to many so called Republics with endless corrupt Presidents, the Queen is far far better and definitely the lesser of two evils.
A kindly old lady that smile and wave, is far more appealing than some of these Pompous Presidential Psychopaths like Bribedem, dropping bombs all over the world.
Anyway I am glad you are speaking up for Culture and Heritage maybe you can speak to this Carnival Associations and a rudder less Generation where culture has been reduced to little more than getting stupid drunk and bending over and wining up like a demented fool in the middle of the road.
Queen has nothing to do with how your stupid government manipulates the people, lies and cheats them continuously. They ate trying to force vaccinations if you want to enjoy life. You can cancel mass group activities but the holiday should stand.
Getting tested for covid for locals MUST BE FREE and it should be ongoing as in ALL other countries around the world.
Covid symptoms have expanded since early 2020. It can seem just like a cold or allergies. You are not even concerned about testing anymore. You government farce.
We don’t need no education. We don’t need no thought control. We don’t need no Bank Holiday to have Carnival.
Just remember (and this may also explain vaccine hesitancy amongst the population at large): Gairy say no jab jab.