DOWNSOUND Entertainment (DSE), the promoter of Reggae Sumfest, has entered the growing debate regarding the introduction of special protocols to ease the restrictions on the staging of entertainment events.

Head of DSE, Josef Bogdanovich noted that it was important to bear in mind that the pandemic must first be eradicated or at least controlled to address the associated economic challenges. He explained that any measure being suggested by the entertainment sector for the relaxation of restrictions for events must demonstrate that it can stem the spread of the virus.

According to Bogdanovich, he supports recent recommendations from the entertainment industry to establish protocols for the staging of events, in the wake of the pandemic, but added that he is prepared to go even further. Reggae Sumfest is looking at vaccinations as a prerequisite. He suggests that he is willing to join the Private Sector Organisation of Jamaica and its affiliate organisations in their support of the Government in a proposed COVID-19 immunisation initiative.

According to Bogdanovich, Jamaicans need to have options in their fight against the deadly and dangerous pandemic. He said he would be willing to subsidise vaccines for patrons of his events who might want to be inoculated. He noted that that could be one way of increasing the level of immunisation without imposing additional financial burdens on taxpayers.

Bogdanovich pointed out that those who can afford to pay for their jabs should do so, as long as this does not negatively affect the efforts of the Government to immunise the most vulnerable first. He said he is happy to see the “energy” and thought members of the entertainment fraternity such as Howard McIntosh, chairman of the Entertainment Advisory Board; and Scott Dunn and Kamal Bankay of Dream Entertainment, have invested in the initiative to get the shows back on the road, and emphasised that the industry will require this kind of focus and unity to surmount the negative effects of the pandemic.

The DSE boss further explained that he would be willing to support the Government and the entertainment fraternity in any additional efforts to protect patrons from the pandemic while allowing for the staging of entertainment events, and stated that all reasonable options should be on the table.