Chairman of the National Carnival Commission (NCC) Winston "Gypsy" Peters said in a phone interview on Wednesday that the "pods" used for the Taste of Carnival celebrations in February are being dismantled.

He added that workers have been removing the pods since Monday and were expected to finish by Wednesday.

He explained that the pods – enclosures for small groups of people – had remained standing at the Queen's Park Savannah, Port of Spain, since Carnival because he was not certain when the covid19 limitations would be pulled back.

The NCC held limited Carnival festivities, owing to the ongoing covid19 pandemic that halted all performances and events for two years. The idea was to incorporate the pods to adhere to the restriction that limited gatherings to ten people or fewer and to let them enjoy live shows without risking their health.

Peters said the reasons for the delay in removing the pods were that the NCC did not want to leave the dismantled parts in a warehouse, and to cater to anyone who might be interested in renting the pods for further events.

Minister of Tourism Randall Mitchell, contacted for a comment, said he was not aware the pods were still in place.

When Peters was asked about the potential rental fees to be paid to keep the pods around for four months, he said, "We never had to pay at all." He said this was because the company that owns the pods preferred they remained up rather than in storage.

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