Harts bandleader Luis Hart says if the National Carnival Commission (NCC) shuts down Carnival because of the threat of the Ebola virus, it will break the backs of the tourist and Carnival industries. NCC chairman Allison Demas had said that the threat of an Ebola outbreak was becoming more real daily and that Carnival celebrations scheduled for February 16 and 17, which attracted thousands of tourists and brought in millions in revenue, may have to be postponed.
Meanwhile, Health Minister Dr Fuad Khan held a news conference on Friday and reiterated that there was no need to postpone the Carnival celebrations as yet. The Ebola virus has claimed the lives of thousands of people mainly in West Africa. Speaking to the Sunday Guardian in a telephone interview on Friday, Hart said, “Shutting down Carnival will be a disaster and will break the backs of the Carnival and tourism industries.
“You’re talking about hundreds of millions of dollars and it would have a domino effect on downstream industries from airlines, hotels, restaurants, bed and breakfast establishments, nightclubs, bars, caterers, the bake and shark vendors in Maracas, spas, masseurs to makeup artists, everything will collapse. “Unless the WHO (World Health Organization) makes an announcement on Ebola in T&T, I think the NCC is getting way ahead of themselves.
“What about gyms, Carnival parties and fetes, will thay have to close down too? How far is this going to go?” He said that it was very irresponsible of a Carnival entity such as the NCC to be talking about the likelihood of an Ebola outbreak, with no reason or justification for doing so. Hart said as a consequence of the ‘scare-mongering’, the Carnival industry would suffer, and masqueraders would be afraid to book their costumes with Carnival bands.
He said small bands would not survive financially the shutting down of Carnival, since all bandleaders had overdrafts to pay and the banks will foreclose on them. Hart said he was concerned about the health and safety of the country but the commission was being premature on this. He said to date, there was not one Ebola case recorded in T&T and even if there was one, it did not justify shutting down Carnival.
Ackin: Tribe continuing with Carnival preparations but will support Govt decision
When Tribe bandleader Dean Ackin was contacted on Friday, he said, “As of now, we’re continuing with our preparations for Carnival. We will leave it up to the authorities to determine the level of risk to our nation, and we will support any decision they make.”
Kalicharan: Masqueraders’ and citizens well-being top priority
Aaron Kalicharan, assistant bandleader for Kalicharan Carnival, from the South,s aid that the band enjoyed providing its loyal masqueraders with a fun experience each year. He said that it was with its masqueraders’ well-being in mind that it must recognise the threat that the Ebola outbreak can bring to T&T. Kalicharan said although there would be adverse effects of not bringing the band, financial and otherwise, the band must do what was best for the citizens of the country.
He said Kalicharan Carnival would, without a doubt, bring its mas band so long as it was deemed safe to do so by T&T’s health authorities.
Trini Revellers: No comment
A spokesman from Trini Revellers offered a terse no-comment and that the band was not even considering the possibility of an Ebola outbreak for Carnival 2015.