The Tribune

File pic of PM

By YOURI KEMP

Tribune Business Reporter

ykemp@tribunemedia.net

Nassau businesses yesterday gave a mixed reaction the prospect of tighter COVID-19 restrictions and/or lockdowns, with some branding it "foolishness" as others agreed the infection rate must be cut.

Dwayne Higgs, WHIM Automotive's general manager, said of the Prime Minister's strong hints that curbs - possibly including an island-wide lockdown - may be reimposed “I think we are beyond that, and I think that if there are people not following the guidelines then the authorities should go after them.

"I actually just heard that rumour this morning. I didn’t even listen to the Prime Minister’s speech because I am so over the whole thing. I just think that we have been back to work, we have followed the guidelines, and it’s sort of like people on the road. Just because one person runs the red light it doesn’t mean that you take everybody’s driver’s license. You ticket those people that run the red light."

Calling for better enforcement, and harsher penalties, against those flouting COVID-19 health protocols, Mr Higgs added: “The economy is just barely hanging on now, so if you put us down for another two weeks, the Government is not going to pay us anything. There are a lot of small businesses that are the backbone of this country and any economy that will just fold up.

“We paid our staff straight through, but if a lockdown is for another two weeks we are not going to be able to pay. They will just have to understand that. I would prefer to take the stance that we are just not going to close, but if everybody closes and we’re the only ones open they are going to come and make an example of us."

Mr Higgs said he just cannot afford another lockdown-imposed closure, and voiced his unhappiness with persons staging large parties where mask-wearing and social distancing seem like an optional extra. He also blasted one instance he saw of a Junkanoo Rush-Out, describing this as “ignorance”, and implored the Government to target the organisers with stiff fines and penalties.

The WHIM chief and others spoke out after the Prime Minister, on Sunday night, gave the strongest possible indication that COVID-19 restrictions may be imposed on New Providence and Abaco as early as this week or forthcoming weekend as existing measures "are not achieving the desired results for New Providence and Abaco".

With one out of every 100 New Providence residents having now been infected with COVID-19, Dr Hubert Minnis accused some Bahamians of "letting their guard down" when it came to adhering to the recommended protocols. This was something, he added, that must stop if the economy and wider society were to "consistently" remain open.

With COVID-19 cases straining the public health system, and an unhealthy population that worsens the virus' potentially fatal consequences, the Prime Minister said the Government as working with the World Health Organisation and its regional affiliate to develop a strategy for reducing infection rates on New Providence in consultation with the private sector and national co-ordinating committee.

James Wallace, owner/operator of Janaees Uniform Centre, told Tribune Business: “I’m not sure what challenge the Prime Minister is having, but he may have challenges on the other side with the medical people feeling frustrated as so many Bahamians are simply doing stupidness.

"So he may be feeling the pressure from people who may revolt from a labour standpoint in the hospital. He also may be feeling the pressure from the cost of this from a medical standpoint because of what it is costing the country in terms of resources because of people’s lack of behaviour.

"It is hard to sit in the Prime Minister’s shoes and make a decision on a lockdown," Mr Wallace added. "His lockdown may be from a different perspective. We can’t afford to have these people going out there behaving like they don’t understand that COVID is nobody’s friend as they go looking for every friend they could find.

"For me and my business, to be very honest with you, the biggest hit I would take would be if one of my staff members comes down with the virus. That to me is bigger than the other issues, because then my whole business shuts down and I have to spend thousands of dollars trying to sanitise my entire building.”

Rodney Russell, the Arawak Cay Association's president, said: “Things at the Cay are still dragging along. With all of the restrictions involved some members of the Association have opened, and they are trying, but more of them are closing because the system has been set before.

"They feel better just leaving their place closed because the reason is, even though they are back, they cannot pay the electricity and they cannot pay for the amount of hours they have their place open. There is nobody in Arawak Cay. They are finding out they are only trying to pay staff, but as far as paying for the utilities and buying stock they might as well close their establishment under these conditions.”

Mr Russell added that "another lockdown means nothing" for Arawak Cay vendors, and said: "“This pandemic is still climbing, so locking down Arawak Cay is not going to answer the problem. It just so happens that Arawak Cay happens to be the low hanging fruit, as if Arawak Cay was responsible, but we see that despite the fact of all of the restrictions this pandemic is still climbing.

"You can lockdown Arawak Cay until next year and nothing will change, because even right now there isn’t a lot of people coming to Arawak Cay.” Mr Russell said sales at Arawak Cay have plummeted with some vendors only selling one conch salad a day compared to up to 60 pre-COVID-19.

"On the rainy days persons cannot even go inside the establishment because the police are being vigilant, and tell them they can’t have people gathering around inside these places" Mr Russell said.

"But I can go to Kentucky [Fried Chicken] and stand inside of Kentucky, and wait until my order comes through, but they are telling the vendors inside Arawak Cay that persons cannot stand up inside of an establishment. It is an unfair practice it appears, again, towards Arawak Cay and Potter’s Cay Dock.”

Brent Burrows, CBS Bahamas (Commonwealth Building Supplies) chief, said he is a bit “mixed” on the possibility of another New Providence lockdown or tightened restrictions, adding: “It’s a delicate balance, but it’s like we can’t get the numbers down, so I don’t know.

"At CBS we are back to a full complement of staff and things are going pretty good. We have our crews back in Abaco with the job we were doing up there, so we are blessed compared to some of my other friends and business associates.”

Manera Rolle, owner/operator of Willow’s Wheelz, said of the Prime Minister's hint: “Listen, I think this is a bunch of foolishness, but if it makes us better I can roll with it. This affects our every day way of life from bill payments, children learning, any and everything we do. This is crazy. While I may not be affected as bad, I feel it for the children and people who are trying to pick their lives back up.”