Shoppers at Progressive Supermarket at Whitter Village, Ironshore St James.
March 25, 2021
Western Jamaica preparing for COVID lockdown
ST JAMES, Jamaica— Shoppers across western Jamaica stocked up on a wide range of grocery items this afternoon in preparation for the weekend lockdown announced by Prime Minister Andrew Holness.
The lockdown was among a raft of new measures to curtail the islandwide spike in COVID-19 cases.
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There was a steady flow of customers streaming into most of the grocery retail outlets visited by OBSERVER ONLINE late this afternoon.
Shoppers were seen loading cases of spring water, canned food and other items on to trolleys before making their way to the cashier.
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The late afternoon shopping was a contrast to pedestrian movement noticed earlier in the day.
One civil servant who was caught shopping at the Progressive Supermarket at Whitter Village in Ironshore, St James, made it clear that she was using the opportunity to do her normal monthly shopping and her presence at the business facility had nothing to do with any COVID-19 lockdown.
“You have to understand that a number of us who are paid monthly would have used the weekends to shop for the coming month. I would normally pick up my groceries on Sundays after church but I am just doing it today because it will be an entire lockdown on Sunday and half day tomorrow,” she explained.
A supervisor at a supermarket in Montego Bay shared that a lot of customers came out on Thursday to beat today’s expected crowd.
“They came in yesterday because they did not want to be caught in the crowd and you know with COVID around people don’t want to mingle,” she said.
One of the supermarket workers, who assist shoppers with pushing their grocery trolleys to their vehicles, revealed that she made more trips and got more tips on Thursday in comparison to today.
“Up to the time yesterday was much busier than now. Up to now me tired from yesterday because of the numerous times I push out groceries for the customers,” explained the supermarket worker.
There was also noticeably brisk shopping at the Charles Gordon Market in Montego Bay and long lines at the nearby Time and Patience Bakery.
Meanwhile, the police were out in their numbers to assist with the monitoring of traffic in the congested streets in the city of Montego Bay and the major towns across western Jamaica.
Horace Hines
Shoppers waiting to purchase items at the Time and Patience bakery in Montego Bay, St James yesterday.
