‘9th Night’ For Shabba Ranks’ Mother Breaks COVID Protocols
The memorial service for the mother of veteran dancehall artist Shabba Ranks, Constance Christie seems to have broken several COVID-19 protocols as Jamaica continues to battle the wrath of the coronavirus by extending curfews and lockdowns.
‘Mama Christie’ died at age 81 on February 23, after a brief battle with illness.
The issue with the ‘9th night’ was highlighted following a post by Bounty Killer on Instagram, which he captioned “Tribute to Mama Christie”, alongside a video clip that showed scores of people gathered with very little masks in sight as well as little to no social distancing.
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In the video, the place looks packed with people enjoying what looks like alcoholic drinks and even dancing in small concentrated groups. With the virus numbers rising in Jamaica, it is surely a source of contention for those in authority.
The event was held in Seaview Gardens and before it began Bounty Killer advertised it. He posted a flyer of the event with the caption: “Happening now Seaview Gardens, Vietnam Corner.”
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The flyer stated that the start-time was 2:00 pm and that the event would go to 7:00 pm. The end time would give patrons an hour before the nationwide curfew hours kick in. That post was liked over 4000 times, a small indicator of quickly the news of the event shared.
The farewell was held just two days after the Jamaican government announced last Sunday, February 28 that as of March 8 until the 22nd, funerals would be stopped. Added to that, the government has instituted a nation-wide ban on entertainment events and imposed a gathering limit with a maximum of 10 people.
There were well over 10 people in the video shared.
PM Holness explained the funeral protocols were being enforced to help stem the spread of Covid-19 when he made the announcement. “We have to take this drastic action because we do not see any willingness on the part of our brothers and sisters — not everyone because some people do comply — but we are seeing a significant level of non-compliance in this area.”
Even though the flyer posted by Bounty Killer asked that protocols be followed including wearing a mask, several patrons of the event seemed to remove theirs after entering the premises.
“Responsibility is a huge tasks, they should be no gathering of more than 20 and all wearing a mask, people I have had Covid and I don’t know how I got it .So please respect yourself,” one fan said.
Another added: “Breaking all safety protocols, don’t complain when the Prime Minister lock down the country,” and this fan said: “Covid Hotspot.”
As of today, March 4, Jamaica has recorded 24,444 cases of the coronavirus, 436 deaths and 13,869 patients have recovered. Earlier today, it was announced that the COVID-19 vaccination program would be delayed for at least a week because the shipment of AstraZeneca vaccines to the island has been rescheduled until next week.