Govt says cancel large public events

We Gatherin’ has become a casualty of the coronavirus preparedness action, while more than a dozen major public events and festivals over the next three months are expected to be called off under Government’s advice.

“The Government’s year-long series of events designed to bring Barbadians abroad back home has been suspended while promoters and planners have been urged to cancel concerts and shows. Cancellation of least three national festivals – Oistins Fish Festival, Barbados Reggae Festival and Gospelfest – appears imminent.

While Crop Over has not been called off, pre-launch events are also expected to be affected, the Prime Minister said on national television during an interview tonight.

The Prime Minister said: “We have made a determination that all gatherings larger than 100 would be restricted after we reached Stage One.

“We haven’t reached there yet, but we do recognize that there are some large events that people are planning, particularly that may lead to only an advertising outlet in buying supplies and food. And it may be ways we are advising those persons to reschedule their events.

She continued: “Any event within the next three months to reschedule it until later in the year or next year. Why? Because even though we haven’t had a case yet, you don’t want people to spend money, only to be told within less than 24 hours that they need to cancel.”

When questioned specifically about Crop Over Mottley said the Government is looking at a 12-week period in the first instance.

“Crop Over events that are early have to be held back. The music can go out. We can enjoy music without necessarily being out there. If it comes to that we will have to take those decisions going forward.

“There was a time with the polio outbreak and they had to postpone Carnival to May so that these things are not unknown to us. But at this stage, the Government is looking at a 12-week horizon.”

The Prime Minister also revealed that St Thomas We Gatherin’ events set for this coming weekend have been called off. The events affected are on Saturday: Harvest Market & Nature Expo, Rum Shop Crawl, Discover Rock Hall Village, Rum Shop Tipple Country Style Karaoke and on Sunday: Rally & Vaucluse Andrew Philips Memorial Rally and the Friends and Family Gatherin’ Service.

The Prime Minister explained: “We’ve said, for example, for the We Gatherin’ mass base activity on Saturday and Sunday, don’t have it because we don’t want vendors to go and buy food and then find out that they’re out of pocket.

“If you have a case on Thursday or Friday and the Government has to cancel the event, suddenly you’re not out of pocket. I have told the We Gatherin’ secretariat to start looking at more virtual ways of engagements because we connect even if we are not connecting physically.

“I speak to my niece in Australia on a regular basis and I can’t touch her but I can speak to her.”

But the Prime Minister said she is still encouraging everyone to keep the spirit of We Gatherin’ alive.

She said: “We feel that the spirit of We Gatherin’, particularly the ideas forum and maybe you can find a way of virtual karaoke. But there are things that people can do especially to hold the interest a lot of the older people.

“Patrick Gollop used to have a programme that reflected the spirit of Barbados; one was Heartbreak Hotel.

“The point is we need to do things to keep the spirit of the population up but we gonna have to pull back on the larger scale events for now.”