ʻO Antigua Ua kāpae ʻia ka Carnival no 2020 ma muli o ka COVID-19 coronavirus ua hoʻolaha ʻia e ke Kuhina Nui Nui Nui, ka Hon. ʻO Daryll S. Matthew i nehinei, Lāpule, ʻApelila 19, 2020.

Ua ʻōlelo ʻo Kuhina Matthew ʻo ka ʻaha Kuhina, i loko o kāna mau kūkākūkā ʻana ma ka hopena pule, ua ʻae ʻo ia i kāna ʻōlelo aʻoaʻo e hōʻole i nā hoʻolauleʻa Carnival 2020, i hoʻolālā ʻia e mālama ʻia mai Iulai 23 a ʻAukake 4.

"Ua nānā ka ʻaha Kuhina i nā kūlana e pili ana i ka maʻi ahulau o ka honua holoʻokoʻa a ua ʻae ʻo ia ka hoʻokipa ʻana i nā hana i kēia manawa ʻaʻole no ka pono o ka lehulehu i ka mālama ʻana i ke olakino maikaʻi, ʻo ia ka mea nui i mua o ke aupuni. Hoʻohui pū ʻia ka pāʻina e ka hopena o ka hoʻokele waiwai maikaʻi ʻole e loaʻa i ka maʻi ma Antigua a me Barbuda. No laila, ua ʻae ʻia e kāpae i nā hoʻolauleʻa a ʻōlelo ʻia e kau ka maka i ka hoʻolālā ʻana o Carnival 2021 e kūlike me ka hoʻokipa ʻana o Carifesta XV ma aneʻi. ʻAnatigua me Parapuka, "Wahi a Kuhina Matthew.

"Ke hāʻawi nei hoʻi i ka hoʻopau ʻana i nā ʻoliʻoli ka manaʻo nui ʻaʻole hoihoi ka lehulehu i ka hele ʻana i nā hui kaiaulu a me nā hoʻonanea i ka wā a ma hope o ka maʻi maʻi COVID-19," i ʻōlelo ʻo Matthew.

Ua hōʻike pū ʻo ia ua hana ke Kōmike Festivals i kahi Hōʻikeʻike Kūʻokoʻa no kēia makahiki e hoʻokuʻu ʻia i ka wā i loaʻa ai ka ʻae kūhelu i ka hoʻomaha ʻana o ka maʻi maʻi COVID-19. "E hoʻomau mākou e hoʻolālā no ka hoʻolauleʻa kūʻokoʻa i ka hopena o ʻOkakopa i ka mua o Nowemapa me ka manaʻo e kōkua ka wahi i nā hana o kēia ʻano," i kuhikuhi ʻia e Kuhina Matthew.

Manaʻo ʻia ʻo Antigua lāua ʻo Barbuda's Independence celebration i nā mahina e hiki mai ana mai ʻOkakopa 6 a Nowemapa 24, 2.

ʻO Antigua lāua ʻo Barbuda nā mokupuni 2 a me kahi huakaʻi huakaʻi punahele i hiki ke kiʻi ʻia ma o nā huakaʻi pololei mai UK, USA, a me Kanada. Kaulana nui nā mokupuni no ko lākou mau hoa aloha a hoʻokipa hoʻi, nā kahakai kahakai a me nā one keʻokeʻo, nā aniani aniani, a me kahi aniau hauʻoli.

He aha e lawe ʻia mai kēia ʻatikala:

“Cabinet looked at the circumstances surrounding the worldwide coronavirus pandemic and agreed that the hosting of the activities at this time would not be in the best interest of the population in maintaining good health, which is the foremost priority of the government.
It was, therefore, agreed to cancel the celebrations and advised that the focus should be placed on the planning of Carnival 2021 which will coincide with the hosting of Carifesta XV here in Antigua and Barbuda,”.
“Also contributing to the cancellation of the festivities is the strong belief that the public will have no interest in attending social and entertainment gatherings during and after the COVID-19 pandemic,”.