Basseterre, St. Kitts, August 26, 2020 (SKNIS): Activities for the 37th Anniversary of St. Kitts and Nevis’ Independence Celebrations will reflect the new normal created as a result of COVID-19, said Minister of Health and Chair of the Independence Committee, the Honourable Akilah Byron-Nisbett.
“The calendar for this year’s celebrations will not be as extensive as we have grown accustomed to. However, we will ensure that we still do justice to the celebration of our 37th Anniversary,” said the Honourable Akilah Byron-Nisbett, during the August 25 edition of ‘Leadership Matters’, a virtual forum on ZIZ TV. “We are cognizant of the limitations which have been imposed, be it financial or due to our new health considerations and have been working towards creating a calendar that would allow us to celebrate the true meaning and essence of Independence in a more innovative way.”
Minister Byron-Nisbett said that the main calendar items, namely the Independence Church Service, the National Heroes Day Ceremony, the Prime Minister’s Lecture Services and the Independence Day Parade will remain.
“These events will all be celebrated in accordance with all COVID-19 protocols. This means that there will be limitations to the number of persons who can attend some events as we will have to adhere to the spacing requirements. There might even be some slight variations to the Independence Day Parade as we also have to work within the confines of COVID-19 protocols,” said Minister Byron-Nisbett. “The Police and Defence Force, as well as the Defence Force Band have been asked to come up with some creative means of offering a parade within the constraints imposed by COVID-19.”
The Honourable Byron-Nisbett added that some of the events including the Independence Fiesta, the Drill Competition, as well as those hosted by the Ministry of Education will be delivered virtually.
She used the occasion to thank persons who continue to play an integral role in this year’s Independence preparations. Some of these include but are not limited to members of the National COVID-19 Task Force, as well as Independence Committee members including the Honourable Shawn Richards, Co-chair and other officials who serve on the committee.
The 37th Anniversary of Independence will be celebrated under the theme “Resilience, Innovation and Security for Independence 2020”.
