In a moment that has been long awaited for members of the local entertainment sector which has been mostly dormant since August of last year, entertainers will today (June 22) learn how and when the industry will finally be reopened.

According to Culture Minister Olivia Grange who spoke while making her 2021-2022 Sectoral Debate presentation in parliament on Tuesday (June 8), Prime Minister Andrew Holness will provide the details on the sector’s reopening during a ministerial statement in the House of Representatives this afternoon (June 22).

She noted, “In preparation for the re-opening of the wider entertainment sector, we have engaged in consultations with members of the sector as well as colleagues in the Ministry of Health and Wellness, the Ministry of National Security, the Ministry of Local Government and Rural Development and the Office of Disaster Preparedness and Emergency Management on the prevailing health conditions in the country as well as the specific protocols that would have to be employed for particular activities.”

Grange emphasized that, “as with the resumption of sports, the resumption of entertainment will have to be a gradual process and we will also have to consider capacity limits as well as authorized venues where the necessary safety protocols can be implemented.”

Given the current status of the COVID-19 pandemic in the country, decisions regarding the sectors reopening will have to take into consideration the country’s current rate of COVID-19 infections and the percentage of fully vaccinated persons.

The administration will also be mindful of the numerous breaches of health protocols that occurred when the sector was opened briefly last summer, which prompted the government to pull the plug on the sectors resumption.