Government authorities in St Catherine are expected to meet this week to determine whether the annual dancehall stage show Sting will be held this year, in light of a health ministry directive to discourage public gatherings because of the outbreak of malaria.

Meanwhile, organisers of the annual concert, scheduled for December 26 at Jamworld in Portmore, said last week that they were pressing ahead with plans to stage the show, as they had not been told that the event could not be held.

Portmore Mayor George Lee told the Observer yesterday that the meeting will be attended by representatives from the Health Department, the police, and the Portmore Municipal Office.

“Before the malaria situation we reached an agreement with the organisers to have Sting this year,” said Mayor Lee. “But given the current situation, we certainly will have discussions with the Health Department and the police to see if they have any objections to it being held.”

The mayor said they would be guided by the advice of the Health Department on the matter.

“They and the police have been discouraging large events, even though they have not specifically referred to Sting, so we will be guided by them,” he said.

Efforts to contact the Ministry of Health on the matter were unsuccessful. However, a spokesman at the ministry’s Malaria Hot Line said events promoters need to write to the medical officer in charge of the parish for permission to hold such events.

Asked whether an event could be stopped by the medical authorities, the Hot Line spokesman replied: “I would not want to say whether or not an event could be stopped, but my advice is that promoters should get in touch with the medical officer in charge of the parish.”

Meanwhile, Howard ‘Big Mac’ McIntosh, spokesman for Supreme Promotions, organisers of Sting, said they were working with the health ministry, the Municipal Council and the police to ensure that the show is staged.

“We have already contacted the authorities and we are working along with them to do as much as possible to ensure that everyone is safe in every way,” McIntosh told the Observer last week. “We have had no notification from any of the authorities, so we are moving full speed ahead.”

Being held under the theme “Love and Happiness”, the promoters are hoping that Sting, which has a reputation for violent clashes involving artistes and patrons, will be incident free, if it is held.

“We intend to continue in the same vein as last year when we had an extremely good show with no incidents,” said McIntosh. “We’re having discussions with all the artistes to remind them of their responsibility to themselves, the promoters, patrons and the country.”