CASTRIES, St. Lucia – The St. Lucia Medical and Dental Association (SLMDA) has called on the government to reconsider allowing unvaccinated people to participate in the upcoming Carnival celebrations, warning that failure to do so could seriously undermine “the nation’s fragile health care infrastructure.”
Earlier this week, the government announced it had approved several incentives for Carnival stakeholders, also declaring that while the festival will be open to vaccinated and non-vaccinated revelers, “more precise guidelines will be provided on the procedures for participation” for the July event.
A government statement said that since the announcement of the resumption of the festival, the Carnival Planning and Management Committee (CPMC) and the Carnival Music Management Committee (CMMC) have been planning the ‘Lucian Carnival’ which it described as “one of the biggest economic drivers in the calendar year.”
The statement said that to maximize the benefits of the Carnival, the authorities have been in consultation with health officials and that “one key point to note from those consultations, is that ‘Lucian Carnival’ will be open to both vaccinated and unvaccinated persons. “However, more precise guidelines will be provided on the procedures for participation in the island’s Carnival in the coming weeks,” the statement added.
It also said that there would be no new land events on the calendar of events for carnival week, July 7 – 20, “to reduce the risks associated with the COVID-19 pandemic and put less pressure on logistics and personnel from relevant government agencies”.
But in its statement, the SLMDA said that it “fully” understands the importance “of balance and returning to some semblance of normalcy.
“We acknowledge the complexities of the “lives and livelihoods” conundrum and the economic impact of Carnival, but we are duty-bound to safeguard the health and wellbeing of the citizens of this country.”
The medical officials said the strategy alluded to the announcement by the government “is far from being the safest and most responsible approach to hosting a mass crowd event during a pandemic, particularly in the context of increasing COVID-19 cases and hospitalizations”.
“As physicians, we are fully aware that the paucity of social activities during this pandemic has had far-reaching negative implications for the mental health of our people, but we cannot and will not in good conscience support the sanctioning of unsafe mass crowd events. We must as a country prioritize the wellbeing of our people and the education of our children”.
The doctors warned, “this move will undoubtedly sound the death knell for the vaccination campaign.
“We strongly recommend that this decision be reconsidered and that vaccination be a requirement for all attendees for Carnival events. Failure to do so will adversely impact our members, fellow healthcare providers, and the nation’s fragile healthcare infrastructure”.
Opposition Leader Allen Chastanet has also criticized the decision by the authorities, describing the move as “unbelievable.”
He said the government had decided “without at least consulting with the Medical and Dental Association.
“Blatant disregard for the professionals who have the first-hand burden and experience of dealing with the pandemic over the last two-plus years. You deserve better,” Chastanet wrote on his Facebook page.
and then 
Why are the authorities in St Lucia discriminating against unvaccinated people?
The African-heritage people in the United States and Europe have rightly displayed great covid inoculation “hesitancy” to these rapidly made inoculations, due to the long history of abuse African-heritage people have endured from the pharmaceutical industries and Caucasian Medical Professionals.
The English author Mr John le Carrie book, “The Constant Gardner,” was based on the activities of Pfizer, who in 2000 tricked the parents of Nigeria’s Kano State into allowing their children to receive an experimental pathogen that harmed many of the children.
Moreover, In England and the United States, without providing any explanation despite many requests, African-heritage people have died at four times the rate of Caucasian people.
For these reasons, the St, Lucian authorities would be remiss to impose medical discriminatory practices against St Lucia’s Carnival revellers.