The Tribune

By YOURI KEMP

Tribune Business Reporter

ykemp@tribunemedia.net

Food store operators yesterday had mixed reactions to the government’s decision to extend shopping hours to 10pm ahead of the Easter lockdown in a bid to ease long customer lines.

Bradley Rolle, Centreville Food Market’s general manager, told Tribune Business: “Well, for today (Tuesday) and Wednesday I guess what that probably will do is help out with the traffic during the morning because people flock the food stores during the morning.

“But the extension of the hours for today and Wednesday would ease the traffic a bit because it has been extremely busy. For Thursday, I think it is just for essential services workers, and I think they are split between the Royal Bahamas Police Force and then other essential services. I don’t think it is open to the general public.”

The prime minister unveiled the extension of food shopping hours until 10pm yesterday and today in a bid to alleviate the long queues that, in some instances, extended all the way out of store and plaza parking lots into nearby streets. Maintaining social distancing protocols had also become increasingly difficult at some stores as shoppers pressed to get inside.

Essential workers only will also be allowed to shop between 6am and 10pm this Thursday. Health professionals, and members of the Royal Bahamas Police Force and the Royal Bahamas Defence Force, will be able to shop from 6am to 12pm on that day.

From 12pm to 10pm, other essential workers may shop, including corrections officers, NIB staff, social services personnel, environmental health services, immigration, customs, waste disposal and sanitation companies.

Essential workers of core utilities, such as water and electricity, or any other sector including electronic communications and print media, may also shop from 12pm to 10pm on Thursday.

Mr Rolle added: “For today (Tuesday) and Wednesday, opening until 10pm would help a bit. But I will tell you one thing: For the people shopping yesterday and today, these people are shopping for five days, so when next week Tuesday morning comes we are going to be back to the same thing again with an exorbitant amount of cars on the road and people lined up at the food stores again.

“They would have depleted what they have purchased between yesterday and today. This is a wait and see game, and it looks like it won’t stop until we get past COVID-19. I guess they are trying their best to see how they can get people to stay home, but we just have to wait and see.”

The prime minister also confirmed that pharmacies will be allowed to open between 9am and 3pm on Thursday, while wholesale bakeries and water producers will be permitted to operate during the Easter lockdown to ensure the availability of their products when food stores re-open next Tuesday.

Dr Hubert Minnis had initially announced plans to lockdown the entire Bahamas to counter COVID-19’s spread from 9pm today until 5am on Tuesday. The altered food store shopping hours represent a major change, but questions immediately arise as to how late shoppers and food store staff will be able to comply given the extended opening hours until 10pm tonight - one hour beyond the lockdown.

Norman Chea, general manager of John Chea No.5 on Boyd Road, said of the changes: “I think in these times there is obviously some mixed reaction. The thing is people really do need the product for their houses because you are talking about a week’s worth of supply, but on the other side our workers that we have working with us, there is a concern for them because they may burn out working until 10pm. It is just trying to balance our work life while also helping others in this time of need.

“I think it is a good call, but it is hard on the front-line workers like us, and also the health industry - from the doctors to the EMTs (emergency medical technicians). We normally close at 7pm, but I have to talk to my staff to see if we can stay until 10pm. It is not about staying open for business; it is about our people. Our staff is important as well.”