Though uncertainty looms amid the fifth wave of the COVID-19 pandemic, officials connected to Jamaica Carnival have indicated that it’s full steam ahead for long anticipated return of the event.

Following the two-year lockdown the island was forced to undergo as a result of the COVID-19 virus, Kamal Bankay, chairman of the Carnival in Jamaica Stakeholders Committee, told Our Today recently that the bands have been ready since the event was first postponed.

“Most of the fetes and bands were prepared from 2020 when we had to postpone Carnival because of the virus, so they are all just restarting their engines,” Bankay said.

With the country currently in its fifth wave, Bankay, who noted that protocols issued by the Government will never be disregarded, explained that this year’s Carnival will only be halted if the country is hit with another islandwide lockdown.

“We follow the protocols by the government and when they say, ‘well, you can’t have this kind of event or this kind of activity’, then you know we can’t and if they say, ‘okay, you can have events’, then we have events,” he said.

Bacchanal Jamaica

While some revellers are opting out of Jamaica Carnival 2022, Bacchanal Leader Michael Ammar, positive about this year’s turnout, expressed that if party ticket interest from the events calendar is any indication, numbers should be “good”.

“People are definitely interested in the parties, I would say that is how I would have to judge it now… . I haven’t had a lot of negatives to the Road March,” Ammar said.

While a profit turn is not expected, Ammar added that, from the costume orders made back in 2020, more than half that amount are expected to attend the July 10 event.

“Ninety per cent of what we estimated in 2020, we think the band in 2022 will be about 90 per cent,” he said.

In addition to this, the band leader also noted that T-shirt sales have picked up as well.

Addressing the pandemic, Ammar, who noted that he observed that the potency of the virus lessens with each wave, urged revellers to ensure they take personal responsibility, which includes vaccination.

“COVID is here to stay, just like the flu and the common cold. People have had well over a year to get vaccinated, and many of them have and many of them have not, and many other people have caught COVID and with each wave what we’re seeing so far, and I’m not a doctor, but with each wave what is seen so far is the wave becomes less and less potent, in terms of death especially, for vaccinated or the people that had it before.

I think people are aware that, yes… ‘if we’re gonna go to any party there’s gonna become risk’, but I think people have to take personal responsibility to do the things they need to do to protect themselves and that would include vaccination,” Ammar explained.

Bacchanal Jamaica, while having a no refund policy, given the current unforeseen circumstance, has been assisting revellers who will no longer be attending in getting buyers for their costumes.

“The costumes were made for them in their size,” Ammar said in explaining the no refund policy. “And when you buy the costume, it’s clear in the contract that you sign its non-refundable.”

In the meantime, Xodus declined to comment and Xaymaca will not be participating this year.