The organisers of Burnham-On-Sea’s carnival have this week said they still aim to hold a small parade this November despite concerns over the Coronavirus pandemic.
Phil New, Chairman of Highbridge and Burnham Carnival, pictured above, told Burnham-On-Sea.com on Saturday night (April 25th): “At this stage, we still aim to still have a parade of some sort on November 9th – but it won’t be the usual carnival that we are used to seeing.”
“There may be a walking parade of some sort, but we will fully abide by the Government’s guidelines at the time.”
“If the parade were due to take place this month, for example, then we wouldn’t go ahead as we would not want crowds of tourists travelling to Burnham to see it. As the time gets closer to the event, then we will make a final decision.”
His comments come after Somerset County Guy Fawkes Carnivals Association issued a statement, saying that it is assessing whether the Coronavirus pandemic will impact this autumn’s carnivals.
David Churches, Secretary for the Association, said: “The Somerset County Guy Fawkes Carnivals Association are closely monitoring the rapidly changing Coronavirus situation in the UK and we will continue to follow Government guidance and advice.”
“We are also in the process of reviewing the impact on this year’s Carnivals, and we will continue to work with our Towns, carnival clubs, and walking entries during the coming days and weeks to make sure we do the right thing.”
“Once we have finished this comprehensive review, we will make an announcement about our 2020 carnival activities. This announcement is expected within the next 7 days, and we ask you to bear with us while we complete this review.”
“The carnival community has already introduced a number of proactive measures to reduce the risk of spreading Coronavirus, some of which include cancelling face to face meetings until further notice, and cancelling fundraising events.”
“These are extraordinary and unprecedented times, and our thoughts are very much with those who have been affected and impacted by Coronavirus.”
Many carnival clubs would usually have begun building their carts by now, but the social distancing guidelines and bans on social gatherings mean many have been unable to start work, putting pressure on the events to be postponed.
It is understood that several Somerset towns have already decided to postpone their carnivals while another possibility is holding a ‘virtual event’ online.
