WITH Prime Minister Andrew Holness’s announcement on Monday that bars, nightclubs, pubs, and other related facilities be closed due to the outbreak of coronavirus disease (COVID-19) in Jamaica, media consultant Clyde McKenzie says players in the entertainment industry, will suffer a major financial blow.

“Well the fact is, artistes usually make money from live concerts and shows, which would then mean a lot of these people would have no source of income at this time. Furthermore, this is not something that is affecting the local markets but it is affecting markets everywhere. So it is not a matter of us saying things are bad in Jamaica, so we can go elsewhere, everything is shut down,” he said.

McKenzie, in the interview with the Jamaica Observer, added that artistes, promoters and their families are not the only persons affected by the recent lockdown of events.

“A lot more people are going to be displaced,” he noted. “There is the jerk (chicken) man, the peanut man, the sweetie man, who all depend on these events to send their children to school. For a lot of them, this (vending) is their main source of income. In these times too, it is not as if they can even call overseas to get any help from family members because they are facing the same difficulties too. It is a big big challenge and it will be very difficult to really fill that gap.”

As entertainers around the world make efforts to keep relevant during this down period, McKenzie encourages Jamaican artistes to consider online platforms to stay connected to their fan base. Or host small performances that can be streamed live.

“In situations where artistes are performing, they would have to deliver content, without transferring virus or minimising the risk that will come as we grapple with this challenge and as people seek ways to make sure there well-being and livelihood is not affect. One way they could do so is to maybe perform in a sterile and sanitised area with maybe just their bands or even utilise digital platforms. That might eventually be the approach taken,” he explained.

High-profile entertainers have already bought into this idea as on Tuesday, R&B singer John Legend hosted a free concert from his home live via Instagram.

McKenzie suggested that a fund be set up for entertainers and other industry personnel to provide financial aid in the event of disasters such as the coronavirus scare.

“It might mean that organisations, entities and beneficiaries must first move to start the fund then have it supplemented by government. We have to start thinking about how we go about creating the kinds of contingencies: do we have a fund invested where musicians and other people contribute a small amount of money in the event of some problem like this?” he asked.

Last week, Jamaica reported its first case of the virus. To date, there has been 13 confirmed cases,.

As the government tries to contain its spread, they have instituted stringent measures including a ban on gatherings of more than 20 persons. This includes weddings and funerals.

As a result, there has been cancellation or postponement of calendar events such as Jamaica Carnival.