Panic buying subsides

Malls along the East-West corridor and south seem to be complying with social distancing protocols put in place to curb the spread of covid19.

Only essential service providers such as banks, pharmacies and supermarkets were seen open for business on Thursday at West Mall, Long Circular and Trincity Mall. All other stores and the food courts were closed.

Mall officials were seen managing the lines outside supermarkets to ensure customers complied with social distancing protocols. They were allowed to enter one at a time to ensure too many people were not inside at once. Customers also had to wash or sanitise their hands on entry.

Lines were long, but the number of customers at supermarkets was much lower than previous weeks. Everyone appeared to be complying with the instructions of mall staff at the entrance and all customers were wearing masks. Tents were set up for waiting customers outside TruValu supermarkets at both Trincity and Long Circular malls.

The government first announced social distancing protocols in March, which led many people to rush to supermarkets and pharmacies to stock up on supplies. Many stores such as Pennywise have since implemented a maximum of three per customer of products such as hand sanitiser, toilet paper and disinfectants.

In south Trinidad, malls were also closed on Friday except for banks and groceries, and lines of waiting customers were short and orderly. The only business open at Gulf City, San Fernando was the RBC branch. C3 Centre, San Fernando was also locked down. Cars were seen near the JTA supermarket, where customers lined up to go in. The JTA Carlton Centre branch also had short lines of customers trickling in.

The government first announced social distancing protocols in March, which caused many citizens to rush to supermarkets and pharmacies to stock up on supplies. Many stores such as Pennywise have since implemented a maximum purchase of three items for essential products such as hand sanitizer, toilet paper and disinfectant cleaners.

Bulk purchasing caused a shortage of many essential items and customers had to wait for stores to restock.