Good to hold strain on Carnival

THE EDITOR: Carnival in 1972 had to be postponed because of an outbreak of polio. Ten deaths occurred and there were 163 cases on record. That February 15-17 Carnival was out of question. Three months later, we had the famous/infamous Mas in May celebration.

You either loved it or you hated the temporary change. It was as we say, some real heavy rain. Fast forward to 2021 we have advanced further and deeper than resting between a rock and a hard place. The global pandemic continues to grab hold of all economies.

How can we can reopen borders and relax restrictions just because we have a local death rate of less than 130? Even as we speak, global deaths from covid19 are borderline two million.

In the First World, all the countries that we do lucrative tourism and other business with, are struggling with hospitals close to breaking point. They are eating and breathing new lethal changes of the virus.

I have no idea how many more polio deaths were recorded after that rained out mas in May 1972. What we must acknowledge in 2021, is it is no longer about just the Carnival. Waiting three months to relax restrictions might be wise, given the recent flagrant disregard to social distancing.

So, how about holding some strain until we can assess the size of probable infections from youthful partying right down to the ground at the beaches and in secret gatherings over the weeks leading to Christmas 2020? Money might be able to buy some people economic love, but what of other lives? Who pays for the burials?

LYNETTE JOSEPH

Diego Martin.