By YOURI KEMP

Tribune Business Reporter

ykemp@tribunemedia.net

Potter’s Cay vendors yesterday disclosed that the coronavirus has had a mixed impact on business to-date, with some saying it was “down bad” and others seeing minimal effects.

Sandra Ferguson, the Midnight Spot’s general manager, told Tribune Business: “We have staff and we had to put them on three days a week. We had to cut their hours down also, but we haven’t decided to close yet because we have some locals coming around, but no tourists at all. Basically we have locals right now, no tourists at all.

“There is nothing you can do. I heard that they are going to get ready to close down. I heard somebody come around saying that they have already shut down Arawak Cay, and they are getting ready to shut us down.” That, though, has not been confirmed yet.

Potter’s Cay vendors met with dock management on Monday, Ms Ferguson confirmed, where they were told “to sanitise everything and take precautions, and that’s about it”.

Meanwhile, Kenneth McKenzie, owner of McKenzie’s, said: “We have seen a fall of business starting from Monday and yesterday. It is down bad, but it is early. But compared to what it used to be by about 12pm in the afternoon, we would have about nine orders and by the time of full lunch we would have been busy.”

Mr McKenie said he has not decided whether to lay-off staff at this time, and added: “We would have to see how it goes, because all of them have their bills. We may give them one or two days, but we have to look and see how it goes and see what the government does. I understand they have something going on for their agenda today in the Parliament.”

Roosevelt Wright, general manager of the Blue Hole, said: “We had a dramatic drop in business. It’s a scary thing, and it is a worldwide thing, so nobody really wants to interact with anyone like that because you don’t know who has the virus.

“Shutting down the dock depends upon the government and what they are saying. I have not seen a big change in business as a result of the cruise ships, and have not been formally made aware that the dock may shut-down as a result of the coronavirus pandemic.”

But Viola Darling, Island Wide’s general manager, told Tribune Business: “Out here was always slow. The coronavirus has not changed anything. We’re still operating at the same business hours during 8am until 10pm or 11pm, it all depends. So there hasn’t been anything that’s changed out here.”

And William Rolle, general manager of the Big Sonny, added: “To be honest it isn’t too much on Potter’s Cay yet like that, but things have been slow for other reasons and not really for the coronavirus. Things have been slow for a while on Potter’s Cay due to the increased police activity and lack of parking, so customers don’t hang up. They don’t stay.”

Mr Rolle said his stall has been taking the same precautions about food handling and food safety, and added: “We bought our hand sanitiser, bleach and we do what we really learned in health classes to do. But it isn’t a big difference, and things have been like it always has been right now.”