T&T: Thousands of people came out to shop prior curfew days

Ahead of the curfew days (Saturday & Sunday), thousands of people were spotted outside the grocery stores and markets to shop and stock up in Trinidad and Tobago.

Trinidad and Tobago: Ahead of the curfew days (Saturday 19 June & Sunday 20 June 2021), thousands of people were spotted outside the grocery stores and markets to shop and stock up in Trinidad and Tobago.

It seems like the T&T’s government’ plan to lessen public gatherings gone in vain. Instead, the government announced curfew on Saturday and Sunday, on the occasion of Labour day and Fathers’ day.

These lines at Westbees in Arouca and Diego Martin and Massy Stores in St Augustine went simultaneously with the lengths of the buildings. They increased back on themselves, with customers waiting quietly for their turn to be in.

The crowd also caused major traffic jams on main roads, including the Churchill-Roosevelt and Uriah Butler Highways, the Southern and Eastern Main roads.

Although the citizens stated that they are aware of the novel coronavirus situation in the country and are taking all the required precautions to prevent the spread of the deadly mutant, but the crowded lines tell a different story.

Many people stated that they came out to shop as it was their free day of the week, and also they received their pay.

One of the residents who came to shop stated, “I’m on rotation at work, and today was my day off, so it was the only day I could come, mainly with the curfews, and then Father’s Day is Sunday, I want to get things as fresh as I can, pastries and things like that.”

People gathered at Tunapuna Market to shop on Friday.

The other shopper asserted, “I couldn’t come earlier in the week because I had to wait until I got paid. So if I could have avoided coming today, I would have.”

One of the vendors stated that this is a difficult time for the farmers as they won’t be able to sell on the weekends ahead of the lockdown.

Only chemistries, supermarkets and mini-marts, religious institutions (only for the purposes of marriages and funerals), funeral homes, and necessary workers are permitted to operate during the time of 5:01 am, and 10:01 am on Saturday, and 5:01 am, and 10:01 am on Sunday, as per the public health regulations.

Currently, there are a total of 8,578 active COVID-19 cases on the island, while around 20,892 patients have been recovered from the novel coronavirus while about 713 people died because of the deadly mutant.