Showtime!

Party promoters and other stakeholders in the entertainment industry are celebrating the expiration of the COVID-19-related orders under the Disaster Risk Management Act (DRMA), which largely banned activities in the sector with a brief respite in mid-2021.

Sheldon Cuff, party promoter of an annual event dubbed Big Tunes, is among those pleased with the lifting of the restrictions today although he had not been making preparations for a staging this year due to the uncertainty.

Prior to the year 2020, March was a critical month in finalising plans for his annual event, staged in May.

“I think it’s actually the right move. It will have a positive influence for small businesses going forward – the chicken man, the jerk man, the taxi [drivers], food distributors, alcohol [and] beverages. Definitely a positive move,” Cuff told The Gleaner, noting that the industry had been suffering for the past two years.

During his contribution to the Budget Debate yesterday, Prime Minister Andrew Holness announced that all restrictions introduced to curtail the spread of the coronavirus under the Disaster Risk Management Act, including limits on gatherings and events as well as nightly curfews, would be lifted today.

Despite the easing, Cuff is still sceptical about announcing a date for his next event, saying that he was still unsure as to what the next few weeks would look like for the country as far as COVID-19 was concerned.

EARNING POTENTIAL

Another party promoter, whose usually stages a popular event thrice a year, is also pleased as the restrictions caused him to forgo earnings of at least $1 million per year.

“It has been three years since I had my annual event. It has greatly affected my ability to earn outside of my job,” said the promoter, who noted that his effort to take his event outside of Jamaica to Queens, New York, saw him breaking even.

“It’s not easy because it’s still costly to do that, so I am happy that the Government has opened the sector so that I can continue with the event and continue to earn by hosting these parties,” he said.

“People have been looking out for the parties. Persons have been asking me to go ahead and keep the parties on the downlow, but I have not given that any thought. Mi hold out and I am excited to get the ball going again,” said the promoter, who is upbeat about his next staging set for September.

The promoter said he was also pleased that the Government will be halving the application fees for event permits in the various municipalities.

WEDDING BELLS

Jennifer Borgh, a wedding planner from Borghinvilla, is also expressing relief.

“Finally, after two very long years, the wedding industry can get back to work,” she told The Gleaner.

“Couples who have been anxiously awaiting this news are planning on coming as early as next month to have a destination wedding in Jamaica. After multiple postponements, those couples who refused to change from Destination Jamaica are finally going to see their wedding dreams come to life,” said Borgh.

Jamaicans collectively expressed relief yesterday as Holness announced the end to two years of nightly curfews.

“Curfews will come to an end, but we still recommend that you use your discretion, staying out late only if it is a must and ensuring your safety and security,” Holness said.

Holness urged the public to continue practising social distancing, frequent handwashing, and carrying out sanitisation measures as well as the wearing of masks in enclosed spaces despite the move.

“Maintaining physical distance will be highly recommended but no longer mandated. The general prevention and control protocols applicable to work places will also be highly recommended but not mandated,” he said.

Persons who test positive for COVID-19 are encouraged to isolate, and laboratories are encouraged to protect the privacy of people who test positive for COVID-19.

ainsworth.morris@gleanerjm.com