The Tribune

By YOURI KEMP

Tribune Business Reporter

ykemp@tribunemedia.net

Wholesalers yesterday warned that food retailers should expect some restocking as they try to “catch up” with the lost time created by the now-aborted (for the moment) full New Providence lockdown.

Richard Curry, Lightbourn Trading's general manager, told Tribune Business the company does not have an overwhelming backlog in orders to satisfy following the loss of Tuesday under restrictions that the Prime Minister reversed for the time being.

"There is no back-up yet, but I expect some by Thursday afternoon. But everything is normal right now," he added. “We will be open for the rest of the week. During the previous lockdown orders we were working every day from Monday through Friday only.”

Dr Hubert Minnis, on Monday night, given the surge in COVID-19 cases and hospitalisations, ordered a full New Providence lockdown by closing businesses including those once deemed essential. Private pharmacies, food retailers and wholesale food suppliers were among those who had to shutter in a move that was quickly reversed on Tuesday afternoon.

Another major wholesaler, speaking under condition of anonymity, said: “It was a little hectic this morning but we have been coping. You just have to learn how to manage your crowd in and out, and make sure your customer complies with not only the national guidelines but with our internal policies.”

They added: “There can only be so many persons inside, and social distancing on the outside of the store, and you just have to be respectful of everybody else. Everyone has to protect one another. The good thing about it is that the protocols are national, and it is not like we have one set of policies and everyone else has their separate policies. They are uniform across the board.

“Deliveries are pretty much on schedule, taking into consideration that we were not open yesterday [Tuesday], but we are trying to get back on track especially with our Family Island orders."

The wholesaler said deliveries missed the Family Island mailboats on Tuesday. They added that several boats were lined up to sail yesterday and, considering that they had already prepared orders to leave for the Family Islands on Tuesday, said this would make shipping turnaround times easier.

Responding to concerns about what another full lockdown would do to Family Island customers, the wholesaler added: “Providing that we are exempted, I have already obtained permission for a certain amount of persons to come in from the Competent Authority, but they are being brought in to restock and that sort of thing. This is also providing that the emergency orders are different from what they were on Monday night.”