Barbados’ Crop over Festival is the latest casualty of the novel coronavirus, COVID-19, which is affecting more than 200 countries and territories across the world.
The Barbados cabinet accepted a recommendation by the Ministry of Creative Economy, Culture and Sports to cancel this year’s Crop over Festival.
The decision was made in light of ongoing global efforts to contain and manage the COVID-19 pandemic, as well as Government’s negative short term projections for the local economy, regional and international travel and trade, and weakened public confidence in attending mass gatherings in the current environment, and immediately thereafter.
Meanwhile in Antigua, National Festivals Minister, Daryll S. Matthew on Sunday announced that Antigua’s premier Summer festival, Carnival 2020 has been cancelled.
Minister Matthew said that Cabinet looked at the circumstances surrounding the worldwide Coronavirus pandemic and agreed that the hosting of the activities at this time would not be in the best interest of the population in maintaining good health, which is the foremost priority of the government.