By RASHAD ROLLE
Tribune Senior Reporter
rrolle@tribunemedia.net
SUPER Value owner Rupert Roberts says he is seeking permission for his employees to buy groceries on Wednesday after the privilege was granted to employees of the AML Group of Companies despite the seven-day lockdown.
AML employees have been allowed to shop at Solomon’s Supercentre on East West Highway from 11am to 3pm Tuesday.
“We were not aware that we could open,” Mr Roberts told The Tribune on Tuesday. “Nobody informed us that we could open. After hearing Solomon’s could open to serve their staff, we’re requesting to open tomorrow. We will request two stores and permission to open from 9am to 6pm to serve the staff because we have a large staff. Our stores are a wreck. We will request permission to go Monday and restock them. (There are) also (reports of a) hurricane coming so we are requesting to put up hurricane shutters.”
Local weather officials are watching two systems in the Atlantic Ocean that could develop into storms later in the week.
Meanwhile, Mr Roberts said about a quarter of Super Value's shoppers visited stores on Monday, burdening workers.
“Staff didn’t get time to shop on Monday,” he said, “ so we fed them hot tea, coffee, Vitamalt, food from the deli, we tried to keep them standing up and they didn’t have time to buy anything for themselves.”
He said he does not believe lockdowns are the way to solve the COVID-19 health crisis.
“I’m hearing stories of people going next door for water and getting arrested,” he said. “It’s strict. There’s going to be a lot of mistakes so we have to get through this. Whether the government did the right thing or not we have to support it in a way then move forward. From what I’m seeing worldwide, the World Health Organisation says lockdowns are counterproductive and have asked countries to stop them.
“I said that a long time ago and I think we should let the fit and able bodied go out there, restore the economy and practice the sanitation and social distancing and all the things that prevent it while the people with issues stay inside. It appears that you could lick a doorknob that somebody with COVID-19 has touched and chances are you won’t get it. You get this from droplets so I’d like us to take another path.”
Comments
ohdrap4 4 years, 2 months ago
I was at super value yesterday. Those people were working hard to serve.
Their service is always better than solomons to me. But yesterday they were working extra.
bahamian242 4 years, 2 months ago
Roberts the Alarmist! Permission denied!!!! Why do you ask now???? Instead of Boasting about your profits, and using other to gain, you should thinking of your Staff then!!!!!!! Permission GRANTED for your Staff to shop at Solomon's.......
Wisdom4 4 years, 2 months ago
Wrong Is Wrong.
TalRussell 4 years, 2 months ago
The Board of Directors among names reads exactly for whom they is.
Why were the privileged employees of the AML Group of Companies despite Mr. Theodore Minnis's authoritarian seven-day lockdown were duly allowed to shop at Solomon’s Supercentre on East-West Highway from 11 am to 3 pm on this Tuesday day.
Guess what the privileged to shop is even broader for those in society being able to walk into a store and buy what their coins stuffed pockets can afford. Nod Once for Yeah, Twice for
Clamshell 4 years, 2 months ago
If horrible, unreadable grammar is a sign of Covid, you should call an ambulance. Quick.
thps 4 years, 2 months ago
Please dont lick doorknobs.
Clamshell 4 years, 2 months ago
🤣🤣
UN 4 years, 2 months ago
Lockdown is crucial because we are saving lives: hmmm....all of this staying cooped up for months while eating crap will add more diabetics, overweight people, people with clogged arteries, etc to an already unhealthy population.
He does have a point regarding opening up with social distancing measures put in place (heard the same thing weeks ago regarding an organization saying lockdowns are counterproductive).
What the government should have done was extend full unemployment benefits. After Dorian, didn’t not-ignorant people pledge 1.5 billion in loans (?) to help the ‘good’ people of this country??? I’m sure that would be a huge help right about now (could also be used to help companies as well).
joeblow 4 years, 2 months ago
If staff for Solomon's could have permission to shop so should those at Super Value. If Super Value staff could have a day to shop so should the general public!
DDK 4 years, 2 months ago
This whole lock-down nonsense IS counter-productive and should cease immediately throughout the Country while safe sanitation practices become the norm. Simple. Not rocket science. Idiot-proof.
DDK 4 years, 2 months ago
As one of the righteous protesters chanted this morning, ENOUGH IS ENOUGH!!!
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