Activity heightens at stores, gas stations and roadways as Cabinet mulls full-on lockdown
These scenes were captured on Monday August 25. (BVI News photo) These scenes were captured on Monday August 25. (BVI News photo) These scenes were captured on Monday August 25. (BVI News photo) These scenes were captured on Monday August 25. (BVI News photo) These scenes were captured on Monday August 25. (BVI News photo)
By Kamal Haynes, BVI News
Pending a decision from Cabinet later today, activity from the public heightened on the streets of Tortola with a number of residents utilising essential services in anticipation of a possible 24-hour lockdown.
At around midday on Monday, BVI News visited a number of popular supermarkets where residents were seen in long queues awaiting entry. Over at Cash & Carry and RiteWay Food Market in Pasea, the parking lot was at maximum capacity with a steady flow of incoming traffic.
Residents were queued on the outskirts of the compound as security allowed persons into the supermarkets only when other shoppers had exited.
At OneMart Superstore, the rush of shoppers resulted in long queues of vehicular traffic that was seen coming on to the supermarket’s compound from all available directions.
It was no different for Bobby’s Marketplace, which also had shoppers queued outside awaiting service.
Residents were also spotted in longer-than-usual queues at several fuel service stations on the main island. Crowds had also flocked various ATM locations on Tortola. Banco Popular in Road Town seemingly saw the most activity.
Busy roadways
Roadways were noticeably much busier than usual with traffic congestion building up at a number of areas into the city. These activities stem from an announcement from Premier Andrew Fahie late Sunday night.
He said Cabinet will decide on whether to institute a 24-hour lockdown for a minimum of 14-days — a decision that is being heavily pushed by legislators.
This decision of whether to enter another full lockdown — as was the case a few months ago — is a result of the recent increase of COVID-19 cases in the territory.
The BVI currently has more than three dozen active COVID-19 cases.
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I see absolutely no social distancing being done. What is wrong with you people. Is it in your genes to just be stupid. How can a population rule itself where it can’t abide by the very know protocol that social distancing saves lives and limits the spread of Covid. No wonder there is going to be a lockdown.
And again the government is silent.
Where is your guidance? Do we need to stock up? For how long?
When will you update is?
The situation is bad. But your silence and lack of leadership makes it ten times worse.
What lives? This disease is NOT a worse killer than any of the other infectious diseases like flu we get in the BVI. Out of all the positive tests here only 2 people have symptoms and they aren’t really sick. The hospital is not overloaded with cases. Sweden didn’t do the lockdown or social distancing and hasn’t suffered worse than any other country in Europe (better than a lot). We have to learn to live with this and set up special precautions for the old and vulnerable, not shut down the whole BVI to protect the few.
A 2 week 24 hour lock down after the previous ones is no doubt a very difficult decision to make considering the increased number of positive Covid-19 cases over the weekend, and the acknowledgement by the Minister of Health that the country only has 8 functional ventilators for the entire population which is bad. It will also be very difficult on everyone.
However, as necessary as another 2 week lock down may be, I cannot help but wonder if the economy can sustain these repeated lock downs, and rebound from it anytime soon once the lock down is lifted.
The borders have been closed to the outside world for months now, and the important tourism sector has been effectively shut down. I cannot imagine the other pillar of the economy, the financial sector, has not taken a big hit as well. The GDP has to have taken a nose dive and fallen off a cliff in the past several months.
How is our country going to over come this challenge and recover from it?
On the one hand, the government has to do every thing it can to limit or halt the community spread of this virus as the country simply does not have the medical capacity in terms of equipment (ventilators mostly) should they be needed for lots of infected and sick people. On the other, the economy is taking a drastic hit, and people are hurting badly.
I personally don’t don’t have all the answers here, but there is a part of me that believes our country’s economy cannot sustain these lock downs every time new cases arises.
No money is coming in; something has to give or else we are all in for very very difficult days ahead.
At any rate, here we are in this mess together. We all have a responsibility to keep ourselves, our families, and our fellow community members safe.
People wear your mask properly, stay away from crowded places, practice social distancing. 6 feet does not mean being right up under another person like white on rice breathing down their necks. Wash hands routinely, and just stay home if you don’t need to be on the streets.
I am not going to second guess government officials who are making these very difficult decisions, but we as a country have to figure out a way to not only stem the community spread of this virus, but survive not just the virus, but the impact of it’s presence on our daily lives.
Be safe folks, and think about others before you do something that risk the life’s of others.
don’t you mean August 31…Monday
The mask over the chin only or below the nose is also very fashionable it seems.
City? You cannot be serious.
Lockdown again we are not kids when u go to the supermarket u dont see no social distance ppl here r just hard headed it seems like they dont enjoy freedom
Shutdown again. Death bells ringing for the BVI
Tourism is gone and people are going elsewhere. We won’t get them back.
Charter boats are already planning for next year and it won’t include BVI.
Welcome to poverty
congestion building up at a number of areas into the city.
What? Since when was road town a city? It’s barely a town!