Business heads react to reopening based on vaccinations

Some businesses are welcoming the Prime Minister’s suggestion that restaurants. bars, gyms, casinos and cinemas may be reopened soon, even if it’s only for vaccinated customers.

Dr Rowley made the suggestion at a briefing in Tobago on Friday to mark the end of a three-day Cabinet retreat at the prime minister's residence at Blenheim.

MovieTowne owner Derek Chin welcomed the potential reopening and supported the PM’s stance on having customers vaccinated.

But he is calling on Rowley to reconsider some public health regulations to ensure the profitability of these businesses when they reopen.

Chin wants the current curfew hours adjusted, as he thinks most of these businesses will not be profitable under the current hours.

He told Newsday, “We’ll like him to adjust the curfew hours. Even though you may be limiting the population, meaning (only) vaccinated people allowed, 9 o'clock becomes very difficult as a closing time for things like bars and in-house dining. He suggested perhaps 11 pm or midnight: "That would be great.”

Other than adjusting curfew hours, Chin proposed a "reasonable" number of vaccinated people be allowed in places like bars, restaurants and cinemas.

“I would also suggest increasing the capacity (of people), because remember, you are pulling a lesser capacity of people.

“So for example, instead of 60 per cent capacity, allow 75 per cent.”

Open to the idea of working with authorities to get more people vaccinated, Chin is already thinking of ideas like offering free movie tickets to children 12-18 who get vaccinated.

He added, “Of course we want to get more and more people vaccinated so we don’t lose in terms of the size of the pool of customers that’s available to us.

“So the government can very well count on us (at MovieTowne) to assist in any way we can to boost that vaccination number ,because it’s all in our interest.”

And when it comes to what logistics may be needed to manage a system of vaccinated customers only, Chin said it may be something as simple people showing their immunisation cards.

He explained, “Well, people would have to walk with the vaccination cards. I think that is something that’s being done now in Guyana and it is working pretty well.”

He expected pushback on the PM’s position but said at the end of the day, people need to understand that being vaccinated is their best form of protection against covid19.

President of the Bar Keepers and Owners Association (BOATT) Sateesh Moonasar appreciated the proposed reopening of bars.

But he’s concerned about its being tied to TT’s vaccination rate, given that the rate has been falling in recent weeks.

He told Newsday, “The most important thing right now is the fact that the Prime Minister said things are based on the vaccination levels for September.

“At present, we are seeing a slowing of the vaccination levels.

“We are hopeful that people would go out and get vaccinated. We are asking everyone who has not yet been vaccinated to please come forward and get vaccinated.”

For now, Moonasar is cautiously optimistic.

He said proper planning will have to happen before businesses can even think of what a potential reopening with vaccinated customers only will look like.

But he added, “Right now, under the present circumstances, any form of business is greatly appreciated.”

President of the American Chamber of Commerce TT, Nirad Tewarie, said it was useful to be guided by scientific data and that the current data showed vaccinated people are less likely to become seriously ill with covid19.

Tewarie supports any decision which follows science.

He told Newsday, “Based on the available data, it seems wise that everybody should become vaccinated as quickly as possible.

“We have to find ways to get back to a level of economic normalcy to provide livelihoods for everyone and to rebuild. The only way to do that would be to vaccinate.

“Let’s hope that we do not need to get there (where only vaccinated people are allowed into some businesses places) and that people choose to get vaccinated.”

Tobago Chamber of Industry and Commerce president Diane Hadad did not welcome the PM’s suggestion,.

She is calling on him to be "honest" if he wants to make vaccinations mandatory and to stop using businesses as pawns.

She told Newsday, “It seems very clear that the government continues to drive an agenda of using the private sector, by pushing people’s jobs and income in front of them, in threat for them to make personal decisions for their health.

“This is an indication that (the government) is playing a game of mandatory vaccinations.

“It’s either they come out and say that they are making vaccinations mandatory…but it cannot be not mandatory and then you are putting all of these clauses for the private sector.”

While the PM continues to reopen sectors of the economy, Hadad is also questioning the plan for the public service in terms of bringing it back out to work physically.