Members of the entertainment industry may have to consider taking the COVID-19 vaccine if they want a swift reopening of the creative industry.

Prime Minister Andrew Holness said, his government is fully cognizant of the value of Jamaica’s entertainment economy and noted that one of the ways to ensure the speedy recovery of the sector, is for persons to become inoculated against COVID-19.

The PM was speaking during the renaming of the Denham Town Primary school on Thursday (June 3) in West Kingston. He also said, “I truly do appreciate the challenges, and as we seek to reopen the sector, the vaccine will make that process much faster.”

In the meantime, the government said they are engaged in discussions with entertainment practitioners with a view to agreeing on the appropriate protocols for a limited reopening of the entertainment sector this summer.

Entertainers Buju Banton, Spraggga Benz, and Chronixx are among the anti-vaxxers who have been very vocal across social media platforms.

The COVID-19 pandemic has dimmed the lights on entertainment events around the world. Many Jamaican entertainers and industry players have not been able to earn since the pandemic hit almost a year and a half ago.