Scaled-down Christmas activities in major towns

Two heads of municipal corporations have outlined plans to welcome the new normal brought on by COVID-19 while maintaining the Christmas spirit.

Mayor of St Ann's Bay Sydney Stewart told THE STAR that this year's tree-lighting celebration, to be held on December 11, will be scaled down.

'Usually, we have a big ceremony where we invite the entire public and it comprises a long programme with cultural activities and so forth," he said. "It's a reduced programme and we will just be inviting about 15 people, including the custos and about 10 councillors and two other members of the public. The programme will comprise the pastor just blessing the tree, a message from the mayor, and it will not last for more than 30 minutes."

Mayor of Montego Bay Leeroy Williams said the Second City's tree-lighting merriment will be virtual.

"We will be having the Christmas tree lighting on the 13th of December and the ceremony will be virtually streamed via YouTube and Facebook," he said.

The changes come from the need to curtail spread of the novel coronavirus, which, up to Saturday, had infected 11,120 Jamaicans, with 265 deaths. Globally, there are 66.8 million COVID-19 infections and more than 1.5 million deaths. Several countries have banned Christmas gatherings and celebrations.

'Grand Market Day'

Locally, regarding the highly anticipated 'Grand Market Day', Stewart said persons will be permitted to operate to an extent.

"We are going to allow some level of Christmas Eve activities but it will be reduced by the hours. There are the normal market day operations where the food vendors will start selling at six in the morning, but the busier part of the day where vendors sell toys and such and regular business will commence at two in the afternoon, and close-off will be between nine and 10," Stewart told THE STAR.

But Williams reiterated a zero-tolerance approach to events in Montego Bay and the usual hotspot, St James Street, will be off-limits.

"I will not be accommodating any event that will cause crowd gathering, therefore, there will be no Grand Market," said Williams. "St James Street remains a no-vending street even in the Christmas period, and I know the security forces will be stretched out to ensure order is maintained."