(Barbados Today) – With the national shutdown extended until midnight on May 3, Barbadians will now be required to leave home on specific days to conduct essential business.
But, they will only be allowed to go to supermarkets, fish markets and banks, according to their surnames. They must show their national identification card, and have been advised to wear a mask.
This announcement came from Prime Minister Mia Mottley tonight in an address to the nation when she pleaded with Barbadians to hold strain as the country pulls out all the stops to deal with the COVID-19 pandemic. She said the outbreak threatening the essence of how people interact and communicate with each other.
Mottley said public health authorities have advised that Barbados is not ready to return to business as usual.
“This new arrangement mean that we will have a desire that persons can leave their house on average two days a week to do the essential things in life,” the Prime Minister said.
“People need food, we have accepted that and while the initial shutdown was restrictive, we expanded it this week to include elements of electronic commerce, which probably will be the way of the future.”
Persons whose surnames begin with the letter A or B will be allowed to leave their homes to go to the specified shopping outlets on Mondays between the hours of 8 a.m. and 11 a.m. and on Fridays between the hours of 1 p.m. and 4 p.m, and these persons will also be allowed to do their banking between 9 a.m. and 1 p.m. on Monday.
Persons whose surnames begin with the letter C, D, E or F, will be allowed to shop on Wednesday between 8 a.m. and 11 a.m. and on Saturday between the hours of 1 p.m. and 4 p.m, while their day for banking will be Wednesdays between 9 a.m. and 1 p.m.
Those whose surnames begin with G, H, I, J or K will be allowed to do their shopping on Thursdays between 8 a.m. and 11 a.m. and Mondays between 1 p.m. and 4 p.m, with Thursday being their banking day between 9 a.m. and 1 p.m.
Persons whose surname begin with the letter L, M, N, O, P, Q, R, will be allowed to leave their homes to shop on Fridays from 8 a.m. to 11 a.m. and Tuesday’s 1 p.m. and 4 p.m, with Friday being their banking day.
Persons whose surnames begin with the remaining eight letters of the alphabet will be allowed to shop on Saturdays between 8 a.m. and 11 a.m. and Wednesday between 1 a.m. and 4 p.m. with their banking day being Wednesday from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m.
Meanwhile, senior citizens and the disabled will be allowed to leave their homes to shop on Tuesdays between the hours of 8 a.m and 11 a.m. and Saturday between 9 a.m. and 11 a.m, with their day for banking being Tuesday between 9 a.m. and 1 p.m.
Health-care and other essential workers will be allowed to shop on Thursdays between 1 p.m. and 4 p.m. and also on Sundays between 11 a.m. and 2 p.m, and their banking day is Thursday from 1 p.m. until 4 p.m.
“We are still going to encourage curb side pick up. We are still going to encourage delivery, but we are also going to open up the supermarkets for limited hours,” Mottley said.