The Ministry of Local Government and Rural Development has ordered popular tourist bar, Rick’s Café closed as controversy deepens over the staging of Mocha Fest 2021 in Negril. 

The ministry, in a statement on Friday (May 28), said the order takes immediate effect and will remain in force for seven days following what it called ‘clear breaches’ of the Disaster Risk Management Act (DRMA). 

For his part, Minister Desmond McKenzie while noting Rick’s Café public apology, further argued that at no time was the venue granted a permit to host Daytime Urban Splash, a hip-hop themed party, footage of which began circulating late Thursday. 

The immediate shuttering of Rick’s Café comes just hours after the Tourism Product Development Company Limited (TPDCo) stripped the resort venue of its coronavirus (COVID-19) compliance certification.

The management of Rick’s Café is expected to meet with officials from the local government ministry and Office of Disaster Preparedness and Emergency Management on Monday.

See statement in full below:

“Minister of Local Government and Rural Development Desmond McKenzie has announced that well-known entertainment venue Rick’s Café in western Jamaica, has been closed after hosting a party that breached the orders under the Disaster Risk Management Act. 

“Under the powers available to the Office of Disaster Preparedness and Emergency Management, Rick’s Café is now closed for seven days. This police and the ODPEM monitoring team will ensure that the closure order is enforced and the management of Rick’s Café has been summoned to a meeting with the ministry and ODPEM for Monday.”

While we note the apologies offered by the entity, it is well known that entertainment activities of this type have been banned by order since March last year, when COVID-19 arrived in the country. The Westmoreland Municipal Corporation did not permit this event to occur, and indeed, no municipal corporation has issued permits for events since last year. 

“Other arms of Government are also taking action in response to this violation, which has caused outrage and evoked feelings of biased and differential application of the law. I want to make it clear that no preferential treatment is being by the Government. This administration does not and will not facilitate any form of inequity or division in the application of the law, and violators have been and will be prosecuted. The police are dealing with this incident, which has been captured on video, and I wish to remind everyone that these breaches carry significant fines, which include the maximum $1 million and up to a year in prison on conviction. I want to thank all the people who continue to report the breaches as they occur, and encourage them to keep informing us.”

Minister McKenzie said while the Government is resolute about protecting public health, it is not unmindful of the economic impact of the pandemic on all levels of the entertainment sector. 

“We do understand the pain from the fallout. We are not indifferent to the sacrifices made by people in the sector and by the those who depend on them. I have been meeting with representatives from the sector, and very shortly, Prime Minister [Andrew Holness] will be having consultations with them as well. I call for good sense to prevail, as we must navigate this pandemic in a way that ensures our collective survival and recovery.”

See related content:

• JTB responds as backlash grows over Mocha Fest, official probe launched
• Rick’s Café apologises; Mocha Fest outrage piling up on ‘hypocritical’ government
• Beenie Man calls out ‘double standard’ amid Mocha Fest controversy
• Andrew Holness: Mocha Fest highlights ‘two Jamaicas’, Twitter reacts