The White and Yellow Cross Pfizer Troupe.
ST. JOHN’S ESTATE--The White and Yellow Cross Care Foundation (WYCCF) celebrated Carnival 2021 at the WYCCF premises on Thursday, April 29.
The “White and Yellow Cross Pfizer Troupe”, which danced outdoors around the different buildings, consisted of vaccinated staff and clients, which gave this year’s troupe their name.
“With various colourful, feathery costumes (loaned by Brenda Wathey and Erica Fortuno), a music truck and a large group of clients who could not stop dancing along, the afternoon was an absolute success,” WYCCF shared in a press release on Sunday.
Based on the latest guidelines of the United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention CDC and the Netherlands National Institute for Public Health and the Environment RIVM, doing an outdoor activity with persons who are vaccinated was deemed very safe by WYCCF management.
“In addition to giving the clients a wonderful afternoon, it is important to showcase to those who may still be hesitant to be vaccinated, that life will return to normal if we achieve herd immunity on our island. For that to happen we need many more persons to take the vaccine,” the release stated.
Bregje Boetekees, WYCCF Manager of Operations said, “It was incredible to see such big smiles on the faces of our clients. The [coronavirus – Ed.] COVID-19 restrictions really took a toll on all our clients in the last year. Many have not been able to hug a loved one for more than a year. So now that they are vaccinated, it is fantastic that we can responsibly increase their quality of life, step by step. This afternoon was an excellent example of that.’’
Many staff and clients came out to enjoy the festivities. Elderly Care residents started to dance along with the troupe, and the Sister Basilia Clients enthusiastically jammed on the side of the road.
There was no stopping the troupe, which continued to dance and make laps to ensure everyone got the best view.
