Dream Weekend May Not Have Caused Spike

Some point to the recently held Dream Weekend party event as the culprit for the current spike, as between August 8 and 15 Westmoreland recorded 29 deaths and over 300 new COVID-19 cases. This puts further stress and strain on health care professionals in the parish.

Dream weekend was held from August 5 to 9 and saw locals and tourists alike sharing in the fun. Though some are blaming this event for the aftermath for the spike in COVID-19 related deaths in Western Jamaica, not everyone is sold on this claim. Negril hotelier Richard Wallace, is calling for an analysis of this theory to be made in efforts to reopen the entertainment sector.

Wallace noted that what should have been done was a thorough run through of what worked and what did not to reap the benefits of insight moving forward. He noted however that if the findings found that these events have lead to deaths then it would not be worth it.

Dream Weekend was cited as a super spreader by some health professionals. Images showed that social distancing was disregarded but Wallace argues that precautionary measures to prevent COVID-19 spread must have been properly laid out for the event to be granted a permit. Wallace is considering the longevity of business in the entertainment industry.

More in this CVM Live story from Jhanielle Powell: