Clark, in an 18 May, 2022 letter stated that the concept “…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.”
“We strongly recommend that this decision be reconsidered and that vaccination be a requirement for all attendees of carnival events. Failure to do so will adversely impact our members, fellow healthcare providers, and the nation’s fragile healthcare infrastructure,” Clark’s letter to Hilaire read in part.
Hilaire responded to Clark via letter stating: “Dear Madam President, I acknowledge receipt of your letter dated May 18, 2022. I would have welcomed an opportunity for a meeting where we could have exchanged our views on this matter and avoid the public circulation of letters. The Ministry has been involved in extensive discussions with all stakeholders including the Ministry of Health (MOH) on the hosting of carnival. Whilst all stakeholders do not agree on everything recommended by the MOH, we have tried to understand and appreciate the views of each stakeholder and to design an approach that provides some satisfaction to everyone.”
He continued, “The Ministry notes your opposition to the concept of open (“unvaxxed”) carnival activities. We truly understand why in your position as President of the SLMDA and as a health professional, you would adopt the position that you have. We can assure you that the decision to move to allow a more open carnival celebration was a difficult one. As Minister, I am primarily responsible to provide leadership for the advancement of the creative industries and tourism; and in particular to create an enabling environment to sustain the livelihood of thousands of Saint Lucians who depend on that sector. It is indeed a complex issue to manage.”
Clark explained that the island’s vaccination campaign will be severely affected if government proceeds with its plan. According to her the move will sound the death knell for the campaign which has been moving at slow pace.
“Dear Minister, We the Executive and members of the Saint Lucia Medical and Dental Association would like to state our opposition to the concept of open (“unvaxxed”) carnival activities. We fully understand 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,” Clark wrote.
“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 SLMDA president declared in her letter to Hilaire.
Hilaire, in his response to Clark, explained the historical context behind the decision for an unvaxxed mas.
“When we first announced the plans to host “vaxx mas” it was at a time when the world was dealing with the Delta variant with its consequence of significant deaths, acute hospitalization and demand for oxygen. We were then accused of being irresponsible, uncaring and insensitive. We felt then that we could not hold all activities in suspension until life was free of COVID-19 and therefore start the planning and stated an intention to host carnival. If the situation worsened, we would then abandon the plans but if conditions prevailed or got better, we would respond accordingly. Such are the requirements for a proactive and flexible approach. It is why we are already planning for Kwéyol Heritage Month, Festival of Lights, ARC, Independence and even the return of Jazz. The creative sector has been hit hard and A SAINT LUCIA LET HER INSPIRE YOU remained the last sector to reopen because of the challenges of managing mass events. Carnival is the largest single economic activity generating millions of dollars and creating employment for hundreds of Saint Lucians, some of whom have not earned any income since the onset of COVID19. In addition, Carnival is also our most significant cultural event. It is singularly important,” Hilaire wrote.
He wrote that since government’s announcement last year, a lot has changed. The Omicron Variant was reported to be much less severe in its effects though more contagious and that it was no more debilitating than a common cold with countries responding by introducing liberal protocols and in some cases, even abandoning the protocols all together. There are some countries with very low vaccination rates which responded in a similar manner.
“Based on observation, Saint Lucians, rightfully or wrongfully, have adopted the same mindset and living with a more liberal approach. We have witnessed a more gradual opening up of our social events, both official and unofficial, witnessing increasing number of both vaccinated and unvaccinated persons gathering in large numbers. We have noticed parties taking place, huge gatherings in places all over the island including the popular Gros Islet Friday Night, Rodney Bay Strip and Micoud Village. Over the past weekends, we have celebrated Easter, Mother’s Day and First Communion, all with large gatherings of vaccinated and unvaccinated persons.
“There is no requirement that gatherings should be of only vaccinated persons. You strongly recommended that the decision be reconsidered and that vaccination be a requirement for all attendees of carnival events. My Ministry will be always be subjected to the decisions of Cabinet and so will be guided if such a decision is taken. It is interesting to note that since Saint Lucia announced the hosting of carnival, most other Caribbean countries have announced hosting music events and carnival, some being held before our festivities in July. It would be so useful and constructive to find out what protocols and measures were taken by these countries and to advice on what approaches we can use to make our Carnival safer. I am not sure the most useful approach would be to return to the singular requirement that participants and attendees must be vaccinated; certainly not when the same persons can gather at so many other mass gatherings and events now and then, without the requirement to be vaccinated,” wrote Hilaire in his letter to Clark.
“Rest assured that we will make a determined effort to encourage vaccination and encourage the participants and attendees to follow the protocols and safeguard themselves and their loved ones. I can also assure you that should we need, after further consultations with stakeholders and the CMC and Ministry of Health, to modify our approach based on the prevailing situation then we will,” Hilaire wrote.
He ended his letter by stating, “I await your feedback on best practices in other countries and a discussion on how we can make our carnival a safe yet successful endeavor. Kindly indicate a convenient time and place for us to meet as suggested. Together we can make it work for the betterment of our country.”