Packed supermarket parking lots and relatively active Tortola streets during lockdown on Thursday
The parking lot of OneMart Superstore during lockdown hours on Thursday, April 23. (BVI News photo) Another section of the parking lot of OneMart Superstore during lockdown hours on Thursday, April 23. (BVI News photo) A panoramic view of the parking lot of RiteWay Food Market in Pasea during lockdown hours on Thursday, April 23. (BVI News photo) A female shopper pushes her shopping cart of groceries as she makes were way from Bobby’s Supermarket in Road Town. Pictured in the background is the parking lot of of the said store during lockdown hours on Thursday, April 23. (BVI News photo) The parking lot of OneMart Superstore during lockdown hours on Thursday, April 23. (BVI News photo) A panoramic view of the parking lot of RiteWay Food Market in Pasea during lockdown hours on Thursday, April 23. (BVI News photo) BVI News captured a number of vehicles travelling along the dual carriageway on Tortola during lockdown hours of Thursday April 2. Another section of the parking lot of OneMart Superstore during lockdown hours on Thursday, April 23. (BVI News photo) BVI News captured a number of vehicles travelling along the dual carriageway on Tortola during lockdown hours of Thursday April 2.
Less than 24-hours after government announced that uniformed essential workers were allowed to conduct walk-in shopping at local supermarkets, Tortola residents of all kinds have started to flock these establishments.
When BVI News visited Bobby’s Supermarket in Road Town, OneMart Superstore in Purcell Estate, and RiteWay Food Market’s Pasea location on Thursday afternoon, their respective parking lots were virtually full.
From the vantage point of these parking lots, our news centre observed a handful of persons dressed in uniform and a larger variety of shoppers in casual clothes.
Some streets, especially surrounding these establishments, were also a picture of normalcy; with a relatively regular flow of traffic.
BVI News did not observe any police presence on these roads or at the establishments.
Tortola, like the rest of the territory, is still under what is supposed to be 24-hour lockdown; during which time all non-essential residents and workers are mandated to stay at home. Non-essential personnel are further required to procure grocery items by utilising local delivery services.
The lockdown is, so far, expected to end on Sunday, April 26.
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Slow news day I see… -_-
Everybody with a uniform is off work and in the shops today.
Government, were is the police patrol? Why are many exposed, without mask or gloves? What is going on???
People just like to make trouble mr premier these people in two of the supermarkets are just mostly volunteers the care package is not easy to do and instead they volunteer they making trouble.mr.premier people are hungry and most people did not get the package.
What a shame on you…the media is right to publish an article like this…it’s clear that the police are failing in their duties…so we now have to resort to the media to do the policing.
Let my people go.
No point in continuing the lockdown now. Release us from our prisons.
open d airport for people to go where they come from
Law abiding citizens waiting patiently for their delivery getting nothing. Guess it pays to play by your own rules.
Probably why I can’t get my order placed 5 days ago
We gave up on Riteway, who have obviously abandoned the paying individual customers for the lucrative Government Free Handout $2 MILLION DOLLAR Cash Bonanza. It’s Supermarket Sweep, without consideration of law, order or fairness. Unlock the cages, Mr. Premier because it matters not any longer. What a joke you’ve made of this situation.
Local delivery services, sorry ?, we have been waiting for 6 days and nothing yet from RTW
This is getting insane!! At almost 4 week of lockdown and next to zero case and all suspected quarantined. What is the point.
Open the BVI back up NOW! Riteway still hasn’t processed my families online order which was submitted on Sunday. We’re down to eating plain pasta and canned fruits!
What is the difference between ending curfew on Friday or Sunday?? Open up now so all people can get needed supplies and leave their houses. We can still maintain social distancing but let us out to exercise and go about some sort of normal business.
#overit
This comment is totally correct. There is no social distancing going on in the supermarkets for the delivery people. No masks, no gloves. What is the point of being locked down, if there is a so much contact going on in the supermarkets? Not to mentioned, then being “delivered” into the community. (I don’t have to worry about that… cos I didn’t get my food order.)
Just do what you please. Those who want to remain in quarantine will do so. No harm. The situation will self-correct.
As soon as they open Tortola and let everyone out, watch the virus is going to spike.
Then the same ones going bash the government when the cases start rising & say we should’ve stayed on lockdown
Really rise from where up ur a** stop talking c**p
Spike or not that place going to have a bigger problem than that virus….believe it….
U sound so stupid or u just not following news around the world STAY HOME,we are small and just one case can infect this entire ISLAND
You have a stupid group of people trying to follow what other countries are doing. Your leaders are too stupid and overwhelmed to create a realistic a safe environment for the people. Foy has no experience in governing nor does the governor. There is no health care set up for those that get sick other than stick them somewhere to die. The reality is that people should wear masks, social distance, no restaurants, bars, churches, limit the number who enter a store and the result will be as safe as one could be under the pandemic. Most importantly the people need to learn to wash and wash often. The spread in New York was mainly through minorities who have bad hygiene and simply don’t wash
Do you really believe what you just said?
Ignorant racist
It’s not racist. It’s the truth. Minorities were and are more susceptible because of the lack of hygiene and the fact that anything told to them by whites is viewed as being false. So call it racist but you are the racist my friend.
Calling people ignorant and racist and you don’t even know what the meaning of the word “racist” is. Can you say “irony” ?
I would say your name suits you well, but perhaps Racist would be a better fit.
And what is your explanation for Italy, UK, and numerous other EU countries who are struggling to contain the virus. Dirty Minorities? I think not.
As soon as the borders are open you need to get out and get out fast. We don’t need your type here.
Do not patronize us, we know what ot will take, we know how to bathe.
Our leaders have done a damn good job at keeping people safe and supported where needed.
So atleast have the decency to get his name right!
Why you don’t go run for Premier then Mr.KnowItAll
Those same minorities are the ones working below minimum wages and in all those business you want to go. They should spit in your food.
You are a PIG!
Stupid your story is partly correct, in new York was also in other commuties white, Jewish but it spread faster in the minority community due to (a)the large number of persons living in much closer quarters (b) smaller apartments (c) these folks in most part tend to be on the bottom or low end of the wage market (d) very little to no health care, diabetes, hypertension, overweight, rundown immune systems, ripe conditions for the virus to spread like a raging fire, and I forgot to add rich landlords who only collect rent but forget to carry out any repairs on their apartments unless forced to do so by the city. This phenomenon exist all over the world, in Italy where the virus took hold was in the rich part of the country with perhaps some of the best hospitals in the world, so go figure.
The spread was not due to minorities…it was as a result of SYSTEMATIC RACISM…minority neighbourhoods are crowded and lack of proper housing space, lack of opportunities for well paying jobs to be able to afford more suitable housing and health foods…so their immune systems were also compromised…that’s why the black community is being hit hard by covid-19…poor eating habits by systematic racism… go do your research…SYSTEMATIC RACISM…not bad hygiene…you use the right name though…”Stupid”.
@STUPID: Don’t hide on here show your name.Your true self.why hide on here with your nasty feelings.
That name is to good for you!
For you to imply that the majority of minorities that are infected in NYC is because they don’t wash is laughable… To try and insult the government about being leaders.How much of a leadership is our great president D.T., Not forgetting that everyday there is a display of no unity amongst the politician or great leaders on the the media for the world to see.
You talk about minorities are the one’s mostly infected because they don’t wash. You do know that those same minorities are the ones that keep NYC running, are under paid, with little to no medical coverage.
For the community at large yes it’s frustrating but I would like to think you all would much rather the government trying to keep everyone safe and work out a plan to let you back to living a normal life.than having to be in a room sick by yourself and death knocking on your door.
While many are cooped up at home waiting in food deliveries….some were out taking advantage and went out to shop
When you Hungry you can not sleep. On it you cannot sleep that is not good for you.
It doesn’t mater. The curfew is LAW and the LAW is being broken by people that don’t care. What about people that do care and are abiding by the law. Enforcement never was top priority in the BVI.
By default laws only ever cause a hindrance for honest law-abiding people.
All us honest people suffer because of a few bad eggs. That’s the truth.
The people have spoken ( acted) not all laws are good laws and this attempt was with good intentions but unsustainable. We need monitored and enforced social distancing, masks etc….and we need it now. The people doing whatever they want and can get away with are the danger to us. I want some control over my own life ie when and where to shop and ability to avoid crowds because we can move more freely but with health sanctions.
The solution is to open businesses with social distancing practices in place. Vulnerable stay away and let more robust shop for them. Disinfect returning groceries.
This current system is proving ineffective in creating social distancing.
Need to move on from this attempt.
This is absolutely ridiculous. I refuse to believe all of the vehicles I have been seeing on the road are doing deliveries. People just driving about like regular. Do they understand that by doing this they are making it worse for everybody?
Might as well they just break the curfew and let us out. Majority out any way.
Each member of government and cabinet have committees. Why can’t the committees be responsible for the deliveries?
The supermarkets need to have their staff separated into two or three groups
Group 1 – work 7 p.m. to 12-1 a.m. (responsible for packing government packages. These packages should be ready loading and distribution)
Group 2 – 7a.m to 3p.m (processing of online orders received the day before)
Group 3 – 7a.m to 3p.m (solely responsible for taking orders for Group 2 to process the following day)
A five to eight hour day? LOL guess you haven’t volunteered or worked at a supermarket this week. That would be a dream. No one’s getting out on less than 12 hours.
With a mortality rate of less than 1% covid-19 is no more dangerous than rhinovirus or influenza.
Don’t agree? Well LA Public Health, USC and researchers from Stamford agree that it is less than 1%.
I will take their word for it. Not governments.
Oooh only 1%. That explains why New York has so many corpses it has nowhere to put them.
So if our population is 60,000. One percent will only be about hmm…600 deaths.
It is unreasonable to compare our little 2 by 4 country (small is beautiful to) with its little 30,000 population with those big population. One train load of passengers carry almost the population of Road Town. Plopulation and population density plays a role as well. Look at Anguilla, confirmed cases similar. St. Martin with a bit bigger population has a bit more cases. Dominican Republic has a bih more than 3 million population. Its no way with all those bodies that there’l be only 5 or 6 cases. We are blowing things out of perspective and making errors because of it. Another consideration and comparison is the houses and apartment layout, compared to here in Bvi where some houses are up to a mile distance alart. Besides most are high on the hills with the cool breezes blowing through and sunny weather doing its own steralizing. Nuf said. It is said that
0.1 % One in a thousand or fewer. The high figures are caused by the number of those tested who die. But people go to be tested usually when they are already ill. Most who catch it have no to mild symptoms of the disease .
But you must be especially careful if you have asthma, diabetes or are overweight or are old and generally infirm because mortality rates in these groups are much higher.
Stamford? Really.
Organise, and cell phone call through to the authorised suppliers and ‘bobs your uncle’ they will be only be to happy to provide a service. Again think through your list of essentials, make your order ….provide destination info. and costs. They will advise of their time of delivery, plus their fee and that is it. Simple. These people conducting these services are remarkable people and I am really hoping that this great effort is appreciated in Road Town and surrounding areas.
We following the pastor
Do not patronize us, we know what ot will take, we know how to bathe.
Our leaders have done a damn good job at keeping people safe and supported where needed.
So atleast have the decency to get his name right!
Please you guys need to stop and think everyone want to be out of quarantine. But if the government didn’t lockdown the country it would’ve more cases. U guys fully knows that tortola don’t have fifty ventilators, where we going to put fifty patient on ventilators. The hospital only one just think again. Nobody wants to follow the rules but if the government didn’t lockdown the country. And a lot of people get sick you sameone would blame them
Please you guys need to stop and think everyone want to be out of quarantine. But if the government didn’t lockdown the country it would’ve more cases. U guys fully knows that tortola don’t have fifty ventilators, where we going to put fifty patient on ventilators. The hospital only one just think again. Nobody wants to follow the rules but if the government didn’t lockdown the country. And a lot of people get sick you sameone would blame them
Ventilators seem like a false investment. Only 10% survival rate reported in NYC. People get to hospital too late. Better for all to buy a pulse oximeter and monitor oxygen levels to know when to go hospital at an early enough stage to get oxygen support (as BoJo did).
Don’t make any mistake ,take a good look the government did a good job in keeping us safe . If you want to be out and about go ahead just that if u contract the virus then they just leave you to die and help people who really need help just bet you is (D trump) supporter real stupid thinking. Solution not u trying to criticize.
The fact of the matter the Premier with approval of his cabinet and the Governor extended the curfew order for this week. The issue on hand was proper planning it does not make sense each day a different regime is being laid out. Food will be an issue and we havw to be releastic one week to feed the entire BVI which include the elderly and those in need? One week to do online shopping from grocery? None of the grocery stores have the man power in place to deal with online order and still government oders for one week these people are human not machine.
The people have spoken ( acted) not all laws are good laws and this attempt was with good intentions but unsustainable. We need monitored and enforced social distancing, masks etc….and we need it now. The people doing whatever they want and can get away with are the danger to us. I want some control over my own life ie when and where to shop and ability to avoid crowds because we can move more freely but with health sanctions.
And cheap CPAP machines found to be more useful, use early, keep people away from intubation and all the complex drugs and support needed with full ventilation.
This curfew must end. For many it already has.
If the gov and the guv do not want riots, they must let the people go shopping and exercise.
This continued unconstitutional use of emergency powers introduced as part of post-Irma cannot continue.
I was in de road too buddy! Lockdown where?
Idiots
One love!
100% in agreement. Open up the damn place, (the local economy I mean). Its not working. What sense it makes starting Monday to relax the curfew 6.00-am to 1.00,pm. Why cant construction workers work a full day and put some money in NHI, SS and Inland Revenue rather than stay at home another 2 weeks. When the economy crashes are the politici and going to tax the hell outa the rest of us? Branson can’t help us. We dont have oil wells Bauxite or gold beneath our soil.
Why they were allowed in? If they tested positive before boarding (the original carrier refused to bring them) they should have stayed out of the territory.
Today I’ve been to a few different places. People are not using masks. Clients and workers were not wearing them although the signs to use were all over). There was a mother with 2 daughters and one was without. Kids are not immune and as our Premier said we are not out of woods. Don’t be complacent!!!