NEGRIL, Westmoreland — Players in this parish’s entertainment industry will meet on July 14 to discuss how to safely stage events now that there is a confirmed case of monkeypox in the country.

President of the Negril Entertainment Association Ryan Morrison said he missed yesterday’s announcement from the health ministry, but he soon after received numerous calls from members.

“They were concerned. They wanted to know what information they can get to ready themselves. So right away we had a meeting planned,” Morrison told the Jamaica Observer, stressing that preparation is the key.

Westmoreland became one of the hot spots for COVID-19 on several occasions as the pandemic raged across Jamaica. Some spikes were attributed to legally and illegally staged events.

“The best we can do is learn from past experiences pertaining to COVID — how we dealt with it. Going back to another lockdown of the entertainment sector would wreck the economy,” Morrison said on Thursday.

The industry took a battering after events that drew crowds were prohibited as part of efforts to curb the spread of COVID-19. Towards the end of last December, the Government allocated a $90-million special support package to members of the entertainment, culture, and creative industries, the largest grant for any sector in Jamaica’s history. Each beneficiary received $60,000.

But many of those within the sector say they are still mired in debt. The need to get out of the hole is pushing them to proceed with care as they stage events, careful not to do anything that may lead to another lockdown.

Djordon Gordon, marketing director for the local leg of Mayhem, which will be staged in Negril in August, said he believes the mistakes of the past will be avoided.

“I think we are a little more vigilant, COVID kinda caught us off guard. Now I think we should be better prepared so that we don’t fall into the same mistake,” he said, adding that the safety of patrons is his priority as without them there cannot be a party.

But promoter of the Negril Appleton Temptation Isle (ATI), Meishtaing “Mega Vybz” Wright, is not concerned that staged events have the potential to be super spreaders of the monkeypox virus. Times have changed, he said, and social distancing is easier than it had been in the past.

“Nobody really dance pan each other anymore. Woman deh one side a duh dem ting and di man on the other side,” he said.

He urged patrons not to panic.

“It’s [monkeypox] live and kicking in the USA, it’s live and kicking in Europe, and nowhere is shutting down. Don’t panic, but still proceed with caution,” the promoter said, noting that early detection will help them to plan effectively.

The new health threat, he said, “was the least of it”.

“We still in debt due to years of lost revenue, it can’t get any worse,” he said.