ST. GEORGE’S, Grenada – Grenada has officially cancelled its 2020 Carnival celebrations saying that the annual event could give rise to a second wave of the coronavirus (COVID-19) and further impact socio-economic growth on the island.
“Grenada, like the rest of the world, is dealing with the wide-ranging effects of COVID-19, not only on public health and the local economy but also our way of life. While great effort has been made by the local authorities to manage the spread of this disease, an event, the size and nature of our carnival can give rise to the often-touted “second wave” of COVID-19 and further impact the lives and livelihoods of Grenadians,” Spicemas Corporation said in a statement on Tuesday.
“It is against this backdrop that Spicemas Corporation has decided to cancel Spicemas 2020. This difficult decision was finalised after discussions with our public health officials and other stakeholders” it said, adding that it is “fully cognizant of the impact of this decision on our many stakeholders”.
But, the Corporation said it is confident that it is has taken the right decision to safeguard public health and safety.
“We are optimistic that the cancellation provides an extended timeframe for us to plan and execute a bigger and better Spicemas 2021. We look forward to your eager support and whole-hearted involvement in making Spicemas 2021, the biggest and best ever,”
Spicemas 2020 was scheduled to have been launched on May 2 but the Corporation announced the cancellation of the launch event after Grenada declared a state of Emergency on March 25.
The Carnival celebrations traditionally run from the date of the launch to the second Tuesday in the month of August.
CMC
