Carnival 2015 will go on despite the global concerns over the spread of the Ebola virus. This comment was made yesterday at a news conference held at the Queen’s Park Savannah, Port-of-Spain, by Vice Chief of Defence Staff Brigadier General Anthony Phillips- Spencer, the Chairman of the national Ebola Prevention Information and Response Team.
Representatives from Trinbago Unified calypsonians Organisation (Tuco), mas bands, Carnival fete promoters, mayors and chairmen of borough and regional corporations, permanent secretaries, business and private sector, members of civil society, vendors, media personnel and academics were the stakeholders present in a meeting on how the Ebola threat would affect the annual festival.
Phillips-Spencer said he made this decision based on the low risk of Ebola in T&T but it was a situation that would be monitored. Allyson Demas, Chairman of the National Carnival Commission(NCC) said they are proceeding with their plans for carnival which is carded for the 16th and 17th February next year.
National Security Minister, Gary Griffith said citizens must stop linking Carnival with Ebola and any decision to stage the festival should not be based on economics, emotion, fear or panic but on informed decisions. Griffith said there would be a daily review by officials of the Health and National Security Ministries.
However, the Minister admitted that citizens’ freedoms could be curtailed in a state of emergency if there were to be any incidents of Ebola in T&T. At present, there is no reason to pull the plug, said Griffith.
