Friday, 22nd November 2024

St Vincent and the Grenadines to allow Carnival this year: PM Gonsalves

Prime Minister of St Vincent and the Grenadines Ralph Gonsalves stated that the Carnival would be happening in 2022.

Friday, 4th February 2022

Prime Minister of St Vincent and the Grenadines Ralph Gonsalves
Prime Minister of St Vincent and the Grenadines stated that the Carnival would be happening in 2022. During a talk show on Sunday, he said the decision was taken during a detailed cabinet meeting held last week.  Vincy Mas- the yearly Carnival of St Vincent and the Grenadines was not held in 2020 and 2021 due to the COVID-19 pandemic; however, PM Gonsalves has finally given it a green signal.   "It is a mass cultural event where individuals express their skills, it is an occasion for economic activity, and it is a relief for people," the prime minister said. "Every community need occasions where people may let off steam; it's a catharsis. You have to have something where you can let off your energy because you work all the time," the prime minister added. Gonsalves recalled that the pandemic, volcano eruption, and Hurricane Elsa had wreaked havoc on St Vincent and the Grenadines in the previous two years. "At the very least, we think in Cabinet that there is a need for some form of communal assistance," the prime minister stated. According to him, the Carnival Development Corporation (CDC) presented a proposal for Carnival that took into account existing protocols and vaccination levels. Prime Minister Gonsalves asked more people to get vaccinated. He said only 30,000 people had been fully vaccinated, and the numbers must go up by March.  "Of course, I asked what type of Carnival we'll have if we reach 70 percent vaccination by the end of March. We'll aim to do that in February and March by launching a full-fledged, larger-than-ever campaign"