Despite being described by entertainer, Sekon Sta as an all round success, his virtual carnival event held this past Sunday at Queen’s Hall in St. Ann’s Trinidad, is now being probed by the Trinidad and Tobago police service, led by Top Cop, Gary Griffith.

In a statement issued earlier today, the Police Commissioner said video footage of the event had all the features of a Carnival band launching and highlighted that as far as the TTPS is concerned, that event was a public party. He said that according to Section 4 (1) (d) of THE PUBLIC HEALTH [2019 NOVEL CORONAVIRUS (2019-nCoV)] REGULATIONS, 2021, it is an offence to hold public parties or public fetes.

Sekon Sta, wearing local menswear designer, Ecliff Elie, on stage at his Sunday night event at Queen’s Hall.

The statement read : “while the event was carried on television and on social media platforms, the video footage was quite clear in that it showed numerous patrons inside Queen’s Hall dancing to the music of several artistes.”

On social media following the event, Sekon Sta wrote: I stand today, proud! Proud of my culture, proud of my Nation, proud of my team and proud of myself. Striking the perfect balance between entertainment and adherence was not easy but we did it.
I am extremely excited about all the possibilities that using this template can bring to the entertainment industry. I still can’t believe that I was capable of seeing this all the way through from conceptualisation to concert. 

The CoP also took note of a notice from the Ministry of Tourism, Culture and the Arts, indicating that four of their premises were open for business – Queen’s Hall, Naparima Bowl, the National Academy for the Performing Arts (NAPA), and the Southern Assembly for the Performing Arts (SAPA).

Commissioner Griffith says the TTPS intends to meet with the Managers of these premises to explain to them that in the case of Queen’s Hall, there was certainly a breach of the Public Health Ordinance Regulations.He said the law is quite clear and there must be a level playing field for all.

Commissioner Griffith added that he has been informed that similar events like the one which took place at Queen’s Hall on Sunday, are being planned and being advertised on social media. He says that promoters, in the absence of Carnival 2021, are trying to be novel by organising events in public spaces with all the ingredients of a party or in some cases, a band launching.

He is reminding these promoters and the public to take note of what has happened in other countries where such events took place and their health facilities became so overburdened that space in hospitals ran out. He said the TTPS intends to follow the Regulations with the sole purpose of preventing the spread of Covid-19.