The 2021 edition of the Nine Nights of Lights, organized by the National Parks, Rivers and Beaches Authority, opened last night at the Botanic Gardens. This year’s event requires all adult attendees to be fully vaccinated and unvaccinated children to be tested.
However, Ms. Twannique Barrow, PRO for the Nine Nights of lights festival assured that free testing will be made available to those young attendees.
“For children, if they are vaccinated that’s okay, but if they’re not, also okay, they can enter, but what the ministry suggested is that children five and up, they will be required to take a rapid antigen test, and that test is valid for 24 hours; so they have to take the test 24 hours before the event and it’s valid for 24 hours.” She said.
Ms. Barrow then made mention of the free antigen testing for children, explaining how it was made possible and where parents/guardians can take their children to get their free testing done.
“The Ministry of Health reached out to us and they supplied us with a few rapid antigen tests, so any child that will be going to the event, they can have that test done at the Victoria Park for free.” She said.
The Nine Nights of Lights Festival is considered one of the largest outdoor light festivals in St Vincent and the Grenadines and coincides with the National Nine Mornings celebration that is held annually from December 16 to 24 from the very early hours of the morning.
