The Ministry of Local Government and Rural Development has announced that no spectators will be allowed at the upcoming cricket and schoolboy football matches on the sporting calendar for the immediate future.

“Specifically, these are the white-ball, one-day, and T20 international matches between the West Indies and Ireland, scheduled for January 8-16 at Sabina Park, and the semi-final rounds of Manning Cup and daCosta Cup matches,” Minister Desmond McKenzie said in a statement issued on Wednesday.

“Our multi-ministry and agency committee involving the ministries of local government and rural development, health and wellness, and culture, gender, entertainment and sport and the Office of Disaster Preparedness and Emergency Management received submissions from the Jamaica Cricket Association (JCA) and the Inter-secondary Schools Sports Association (ISSA), respectively, for a limited number of spectators to attend these games.

“Most regrettably, in light of the rising positivity rate and the threat of the Omicron variant, it is not possible to accommodate this request. At this point, it is simply not practical to give the green light for public access to these games.”

The release added: “However, there are other sporting events for which ISSA, the Jamaica Football Federation, and the Jamaica Athletics Administrative Association have made submissions, and we will be meeting with these bodies to consider these applications. As we continue to manage the pandemic and to monitor the situation on a daily basis, I want to commend the sporting associations and, in particular, ISSA for its excellent management of its events and the consistent application of the COVID-19 protocols at the various matches.”

The release also stated that the Government will exercise flexibility as the situation changes because the role and impact of sport on social well-being, social development, and on the local economies of communities is fully acknowledged.

“This Administration will facilitate the return of spectator participation in sport in the safest way possible, in the shortest possible time.”

ISSA had hoped it would be allowed to have more spectators for the final part of the season that will include the semi-finals and finals of the Manning Cup and daCosta Cup, as well as the ISSA Champions Cup, the Walker Cup KO, and the Ben Francis KO.

This decision, ISSA President Keith Wellington said, did not rule out spectators for the national high school athletics championships (Champs) set for April. “We would have wanted to have spectators for the remainder of the football competition, but the main thing now is to ensure that we complete the season.”

Wellington also told the Jamaica Observer, “We will continue to have dialogue as we expect to have fans for Champs in April.”

The football season will resume on January 5 with the first round of the ISSA Champions Cup competition, while the semi-finals will be played three days later.

The semi-finals of the Manning Cup will be played on January 11, one day before the daCosta Cup semi-finals.

— Paul Reid