Cops kept busy shutting down illegal parties – Nesbeth

Head of the St Andrew Central Police Division, Senior Superintendent Marlon Nesbeth, has lauded his men for their efforts in clamping down on the staging of illegal parties during the Christmas holidays.

Nesbeth told THE STAR that the police have made several arrests of persons who were in breach of the Disaster Risk Management Act.

"Right across the Corporate Area there were a large portion of illegal events being staged. We were able to successfully clamp down on these events, particularly in my division, where specific instructions were given to my men to not facilitate the staging of these illegal events," he said.

The entertainment sector has been on life support since Jamaica recorded its first cases of COVID-19 in March 2020.

The staging of events has been banned as part of measures to contain the spread of the virus. The sector was briefly reopened on two occasions, the last being in August but was locked down after the country began experiencing a third wave of the virus.

The country is currently experiencing a fourth wave of the virus.

In December 2021, the police said that no permits would have been granted for the hosting of parties during the Christmas season. At the same time, the Minister of Local Government and Community Development, Desmond McKenzie, also said that the municipal corporations would not be issuing permits for the staging of events.