No New Year's Eve fireworks

Event organizers, the Urban Development Corporation (UDC), said it is “cognizant” of the seriousness of the highly transmissible respiratory virus attributed to the death of more than 2,400 people on the island. There have been more than 93,000 confirmed cases in Jamaica with experts predicting a sharp rise in cases since the Omicron variant was discovered.

In an advisory the UDC said “that there will be no staging of its signature New Year’s Eve events, Fireworks on the Waterfront and Fireworks on the Bay”.

“The annual fireworks on the waterfront and fireworks on the Bay, hosted respectively by the UDC and its subsidiary, St. Ann Development Company (SADCo), have become a tradition for many families across Jamaica to usher in the New Year. Over the years, in excess of 300,000 have gathered along the Kingston Waterfront and Ocho Rios Bay Beach, to witness the island’s most stellar fireworks displays. These events have been the corporation’s gift to the nation and its way of celebrating continued national development.

“UDC is cognizant of the physical distancing and public gathering guidelines in place for public safety and supports the Government of Jamaica’s efforts to curb the spread of COVID-19.”

The UDC said it looks forward to a return to hosting the event in the future.

Meantime, Local Government Minister Desmond McKenzie has announced the reimposition of a ban on spectators attending local sporting events.

This, the Minister said, is due to “rising positivity rate and the threat of the Omicron variant”.
Jamaicans will still get the chance to ring in the New Year together, as curfew hours have been relaxed until 1:00 am January 1, 2022. Regular curfew hours will return immediately the next day, commencing 10:00 pm daily through to 5:00 am the next day.

This will be the case until January 14 when the order expires.