…if vaccines come through

THE coming on stream of a number of vaccines to treat the COVID-19 virus has provided a glimmer of hope to the organisers of “Guyana Carnival”, who are hopeful of still seeing the 2021 hosting of the event, should the world return to some form of normalcy. Organisers of the event are cautiously observing the ongoing state of the COVID-19 pandemic, and if there is a vaccine here by then, the event will be pushed back to a later time in the year instead of its originally scheduled timeslot in May. “In light of the vaccine, we’re very optimistic at this point, but we will have to assess the situation as it comes close to that time to look the distribution of the vaccine and stuff like that,” Co-founder of Guyana Carnival, Kerwin Bollers, told the Guyana Chronicle during a telephone interview on Sunday. He added that: “If we decide to go ahead with it, providing that distribution of the vaccine is done next year, we’re not anticipating having it in May, we’re looking more down to the last quarter of next year. That would give us enough time to prepare and stuff like that, so that’s what we’re currently looking at.”

With its first hosting in May 2018, Guyana Carnival has grown into a much anticipated annual event, which attracts thousands to Guyana’s shores, notwithstanding its small lifespan. comprising over a week long list of activities, the event was conceptualised by HJ Entertainment, to coincide with Guyana’s celebration of Independence Day on May 26. The event is usually launched six months in advance to give patrons time to prepare. The event was expected to see its third hosting in May 2020, but had to be officially cancelled due to measures implemented to curb the spread of the COVID-19 virus. “It would have affected us tremendously because we would have already prepared, we had started selling costumes, and even online tickets. We did refunds for those who requested refunds, of course,” Bollers explained.

The next hosting was scheduled for May 19 – 27, 2021, however that would depend on how things develop with the COVID-19 virus, which has thus far infected over 701,000,000 people across the world, since it was first discovered in December 2019. But over the past few weeks, a number of vaccines have since been approved in the USA and UK, to treat the virus.
“We’re hoping that Guyana is on the list that will receive the vaccine probably in the first quarter of next year. Once that is done and the government is satisfied with the amount of distribution they would have been able to do, and they believe that the country could go back to some form of normalcy to that extent, we definitely would host our events,” Bollers established.
With the COVID-19 restrictions mandating the cancellation of any social gathering of groups of more than five persons, it has been a tough year for businesses in the entertainment industry. Aside from Guyana Carnival, Bollers’ company is also responsible for the hosting of “Jamzone” – another annual event that has become a Guyanese entertainment fixture.

This year Jamzone was also cancelled, however, Bollers hopes that too will be back up and running from next year, should the vaccines come through. “Even for Jamzone, if not in August, persons can look forward to later on in the year. Both of those events we’re looking at. But it really is dependent on the vaccine, and the distribution of the vaccine, and also assessing the situation on the ground, and following the advice and protocol of the [National COVID-19] Task Force. So it will be done by the directions of the task force,” Bollers said.

Aside from Guyana Carnival and Jamzone, the company is also known for hosting of legendary concerts bringing some of the biggest names in music and entertainment to Guyana. But with almost 10 months of most businesses having to curtail their activities, it has been a tough year for the private sector. “As a company that one of our streams of income is providing entertainment, like most other businesses, we have been severely affected by not being able to host parties. But, of course, the safety of our patrons come first, and the world at large would have suffered tremendously as it relates to COVID,” he said.