Jamaican Health Minister Urges Mask Wearing After Buju Banton’s Rant
Despite the best efforts of the reggae superstar Buju Banton, who called for an end to face mask-wearing protocols in Jamaica, Minister of Health and Wellness, Christopher Tufton, has sought to reiterate its importance to the public and has urged people to continue wearing their masks.
During the weekly COVID-19 virtual press conference, Minister Tufton said that his Ministry is comfortable with advice coming forward which supports the wearing of masks to stem the spread of the coronavirus in response to Banton’s scathing attack on face masks and other COVID-19 protocols two days ago on Instagram.
“As it relates to the public pronouncements by individuals, and in some instances by popular personalities, around not wearing masks, our position is very clear,” Tufton said.
“We are influenced by the clinical advice, there are going to be other views out there but our position is based on the clinical advice and that clinical advice is what influences the protocols we’ve established and we are comfortable with that,” the Minister remarked.
The Minister continued that “this not only about Jamaica, it’s a universal advice and in many countries it’s in law with penalty for breaches”. He explained that they will continue to advance on the basis of the information provided by clinicians as they continue to study the virus.
In the first of three videos on Wednesday, Banton said “We wan done wid dis mask wearing bullsh-t inna Jamaica. Who fi dead ago dead and who nah go dead, haffi jus live. We tired of you intellectual fools trying to tell us how to live our lives, you are so smart why you haven’t found the cure for cancer.”
“You’re all bout touting a line and putting the Jamaican people in abject fear, driving us all to poverty. What have you done for those you have laid off and their business closed early. Jamaican people need to wake up and we done with the f…kry… Mi na wear no mask, mask no mek fi man” he declared.
Since the rant, Gargamel has come in for major backlash for his comments from all corners of society including his daughters, Jodian and Abihail Myrie, who sought to encourage their followers on Twitter to wear masks despite the assertions of their dad.
The Grammy-winning artiste was also criticized for selling face masks via his official online store alongside his Upside Down 2020 album. The merchandise, which retailed for $23 with the album and $12 without, has since been removed.
However, despite the backlash, he has been receiving support in some corners.
Dancehall veteran Tanya Stephens, who is no stranger to courting controversy herself, has been one of those expressing support for the embattled artiste. On her Instagram Page, the Rebelution artiste, wrote “Buju say enable the masses to ern and oonu vex. Politician actually open the country fi elections and out deh a campaign oonu good though”.
Stephens referred to critics as sheeple in her post for their blind following of the island’s COVID-19 protocols. “When you’re willing to think outside of the narrative you’ve been force fed the most resistance will come from those who NEED those thoughts the most. Buju say free the people (sheeple) but I’m reminding myself I eat lamb“.
Chaka Demus, from the veteran dancehall duo Chaka Demus and Pliers, told the STAR today that while he does not support Buju’s stance face masks, he is also urging Jamaicans to open their eyes to the truth behind the COVID-19 pandemic.
But weh me really wah, like Buju say, is for people to open dem eyes and see say a these same people a do it,” he told the paper.
“This is a man-made thing innu. The people dem weh a lead the world, dem a cause nuff things weh yuh see a happen in a the world right now and mi want the people dem open dem eyes. They are not telling the truth about this thing and so a we affi use our common sense and read through the lines.”
However, both Stephens and Chaka have drawn the ire of a number of Jamaicans who believe that they, along with Buju, are playing down the health crisis for potential economic gain.