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VI begins 3 days of shopping before 14-day lockdown

- long lines outside stores across Tortola
Shoppers outside of RiteWay Food Markets in Pasea, Tortola, earlier today, April 2, 2020. Photo: Facebook
The RiteWay Food Markets parking lot in Pasea Estate has been filled with shoppers today, April 2, 2020. Photo: Team of Reporters
The RiteWay Food Markets parking lot in Pasea Estate has been filled with shoppers today, April 2, 2020. Photo: Team of Reporters
Shoppers queue in to RiteWay Food Markets on Flemming Street, Tortola. Photo: Team of Reporters
Shoppers queue in to RiteWay Food Markets on Flemming Street, Tortola. Photo: Team of Reporters
Customers of One Mart Superstore observe social distancing protocols. Photo: Team of Reporters
Customers of One Mart Superstore observe social distancing protocols. Photo: Team of Reporters
Shoppers have been asked to observe the social distancing protocol in place during the three days of shopping. Photo: Team of Reporters
Shoppers have been asked to observe the social distancing protocol in place during the three days of shopping. Photo: Team of Reporters
Car lines have backed up all the way from Pasea Estate to Festival Grounds in Road Town, Tortola. Photo: Team of Reporters
Car lines have backed up all the way from Pasea Estate to Festival Grounds in Road Town, Tortola. Photo: Team of Reporters
Car lines have backed up all the way from Pasea Estate to Festival Grounds in Road Town, Tortola. Photo: Team of Reporters
Car lines have backed up all the way from Pasea Estate to Festival Grounds in Road Town, Tortola. Photo: Team of Reporters
ROAD TOWN, Tortola, VI- The Virgin Islands has started three days of shopping before the Territory goes on a 14-day round-the-clock lockdown from Saturday evening, April 4, 2020.

The curfew has been relaxed to allow persons with surnames 'A' to 'I' to shop today, April 2, 2020. On Friday, persons with surnames from 'J' to 'R' will get their turn while on Saturday, persons with surnames from 'S' to 'Z' will be allowed.

The staggered approach is to prevent a buildup of crowds at places of business.

Supermarkets across the Territory began to witness a large amount of shoppers from as early as 6:00am.

6:00am to 8:00am on all three days of shopping is reserved for essential workers and persons shopping for persons considered most vulnerable to COVID-19.

So far there have been some reports of impatience but most persons have been going about their businesses in an orderly fashion.

Photographs coming in to our newsroom show; however, that a "car queue" has backed up from Pasea all the way to Festival Grounds as persons seek to shop at RiteWay Food Markets.

One Mart Superstore has also seen long lines of shoppers while RiteWay in Flemming Street has seen shorter lines.

At various supermarkets; however, some persons have reported of being in queues for over two hours.

No need to panic buy

Premier and Minister of Finance, Honourable Andrew A. Fahie (R1) had said owners of supermarkets had assured him there was no need for anyone to "panic buy" as they have months of supplies in stock.

He advised persons; however, to shop adequately for the 14 days of lockdown.

“For legal purposes, the current Order for the curfew will end on 16 April. However, a new Order will be done for at least 3 days more to give a full 14 days starting from this Saturday.

“So, this is why you are being advised to shop for 14 days.”

Meanwhile, Governor Augustus J. U. Jaspert had said the best thing to break the disease is for everyone to stay at home.

“But we recognise, of course, that we all need to stock up before we return to lockdown in our homes. What we don’t want though is for everyone to rush to the stores at once creating a risk of the disease spreading in crowded spaces. Therefore, we will have a strict managed approach to how you can re-stock for the next period.”

14 Responses to “VI begins 3 days of shopping before 14-day lockdown”

  • Garbage Bin (02/04/2020, 15:13) Like (1) Dislike (0) Reply
    How about the garbage!!!?
    • Fran (02/04/2020, 17:11) Like (7) Dislike (0) Reply
      I've seen garbage trucks picking up all over East end, and it was a LOT of GARBAGE! They are doing their best.
  • tretretrete (02/04/2020, 15:19) Like (7) Dislike (0) Reply
    Wow...Hope they dont layoff anyone after making all this money when they have to shut down for 10 days...
  • dangerous (02/04/2020, 15:33) Like (1) Dislike (0) Reply
    Biohazard!
  • Dishonesty (02/04/2020, 15:38) Like (19) Dislike (0) Reply
    Some of those persons in the lines are NOT suppose to be there as their last names don't begin with any of the letters (A to I) as specified for today. The police need to come out and check these persons identification and enforce the law. Some persons are clearly only thinking on themselves.
    • Bobby's disaster area (02/04/2020, 18:24) Like (6) Dislike (0) Reply
      I was in the line at Bobby's for 3 hours. So many entitled people pushing in causing arguments. You had to stand up tight, not social distance otherwise people slipping in from the side all the time. There were police there and security told me they were supposed to be checking ids but I saw three of them buying rum, cases of coke and large amounts of snack food (cheeto, chips type). A security guy gave out numbers after about 2 hours and a lot of people who didn't queue just slipped in.Woman on door didn't seem to care and didn't check ids or if people had washed their hands.
  • ndp (02/04/2020, 16:01) Like (11) Dislike (9) Reply
    The VIP has created a cowboy town
    • fool (02/04/2020, 17:06) Like (8) Dislike (3) Reply
      It was a cow boy after Irma too.
      Clown
      • Lead If You Can (02/04/2020, 21:28) Like (12) Dislike (0) Reply
        Today was an epic failure in terms of executing what we were told in that press conference. The idea of splitting the population in 3rds was just idiotic with no measures in place. The government did a major cock up on this one. So reactive, now the supermarkets opened later. Tomorrow the same crap will happen again with the long lines as it’s A - R. So the 6 days of curfew we just came out of we better hope wasn’t a waste of time.
  • question (02/04/2020, 16:41) Like (9) Dislike (1) Reply
    Have the supermarkets put orders out for more food items given the time it takes to process the orders from overseas suppliers and have them shipped, port cleared & stocked? As soon as Saturday evening come this should be done. When these people awake from their hibernation they will be starving; each man ready to eat a whole cow.

    Now if we were raring cattle and other livestock at Paraquita Bay and elsewhere we would have been able to kill some to feed the people until the exports arrived. We cannot eat financial services & tourism. Our money right now is useless - the whole world under the same conditions.

    China now sending masks to USA.
  • Mr 788 (02/04/2020, 16:51) Like (5) Dislike (0) Reply
    The polices surly need to look into that seriouly be cause thats not wat was anounce on the radio
  • Organization (04/04/2020, 08:45) Like (0) Dislike (0) Reply
    Something as simple as an online appointment system by personal time window........... in place EVERY DAY 6:00 am to 6:00 pm for 2 weeks. Then a hard curfew 6:00 pm to 6:00 am.

    Display the appointment number on your windscreen or have it on your person, so police can check at random for the details. Our trained IT and Disaster Planning departments are something else.


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