Artistes and other carnival stakeholders are patiently awaiting word on whether Trinidad and Tobago will host Carnival next year. Last week, news emerged that officials charged with making this decision were in closed door meetings to discuss the way forward. This morning, National Carnival Commission Chairman, Winston ‘Gypsy’ Peters, told EBUZZTT that he could not confirm whether there would, or would not be a Carnival next year. He however urged the population to take advantage of the buffet of vaccine options available, indicating that the more people that are vaccinated in the country, would be a driving factor in the decision.

The NCC Chairman explained that the meeting last Friday between himself and the Ministry of Arts, Culture and Tourism occurred to discuss the possibilities of hosting something that resembles the traditional carnival experience. “We are trying to see what can be done, collectively ; What can be done safely in order for us to have carnival-like activities in certain safe zones,” said Peters. He however said to date, no concrete decision has been made.

Miami Carnival took place in October and the NCC Chairman experienced it first hand. He said it was well executed and admitted that while some aspects of Miami Carnival’s safety protocols could be emulated here in Trinidad and Tobago, he would not say that this is a reason for Trinidad and Tobago to host the festival. “Miami Carnival is a totally different thing to Trinidad- different place, different laws and different cultures and so, we have to do what is best for us. I was there. They did great, and we can in some ways emulate some of what they did, but I would not say that because Miami did it, that’s a reason we can do it. I will say that yes, we can in fact emulate some of what Miami did because it was people from the Caribbean who were in Miami Carnival, so it can be done, but Trinidad is a totally different place so we would have to apply totally different principles to what we are doing.”

Trinidad still in limbo as it relates to the vaccination process, and recent case increases and death toll numbers, making news headlines, Peters urged the people of Trinidad and Tobago, inclusive of artistes and other creatives in the sector, to go out and get vaccinated. ” I am leading the way as a vaccinated person. I am asking the artistes, people in the culture industry and all of Trinidad and Tobago to go out there and get vaccinated so we can have a better chance of beating this pandemic. Trinidad is a small place and whatever monies we have in this place is finite you know, so we have to do the best that we can to contribute to the preservation of ourselves, our country and indeed our scarce resources,” he said.

I am asking them to go ahead and get vaccinated because those vaccines cost a lot of money and the government did all that they can to have vaccines for everybody to be vaccinated. When we didn’t have the vaccines we wanted to protest that the government wasn’t doing this and that.. now we have a buffet of vaccines to choose from so you can go get whichever one you choose and yet we have this hesitancy. I am asking people – the world may never be normal as we know it again, so I am asking that we do as best as we can to contribute to the normalcy that we want to see so that we can be as normal as we possibly can in this country.

The NCC Chairman said that he is of the firm belief that if an announcement regarding the hosting of carnival-type activities and an intent to allow vaccinated persons to enjoy such, is announced early enough, it could be an impetus for a lot of people to get vaccinated.