IT’S infuriating that Trinidad and Tobago is in another lockdown although our borders have been closed since March 2020.
Many local businesses such as bars, restaurants, gyms, fitness centres, spas, barbers, beauticians, cinemas and theatres are in serious financial state and about to collapse.
This even as government shuts down the island again with restrictions basically imposing a full lockdown until May 23, 2021. The reality looks like this maybe extended.
These businesses are seriously cash strapped after implementing pandemic saving measures including salary reductions for all staff in an effort to keep afloat.
As this lockdown continues, business owners cannot see a way out of the debt or manage their finances to stay in business. Financially speaking, all businesses, especially restaurants, the food industry and bars globally, have faced challenges to continue to survive during the Covid-19 pandemic and many are now on their last leg.
In the wake of infections reaching record numbers, we can understand the kneejerk reaction to lockdown. But we must ask how this is happening after 15 months of managing the pandemic. The Ministry of Health and the Ministry of National Security were all over the media for months beating their chest and insinuating they have done a good job for our citizens when we are in a worse state now than before March 2020.
The burden put upon citizens is at breaking levels as salaries for most of these workers have been reduced by 50%. Many are on the breadline while others are on no-pay leave even though these business owners have tried to keep their establishments afloat by initiatives such as curb side pick up, delivery and pick up orders.
They have tried their best to work with the government and observe the pandemic rules-upon-rules.
They are at their wits’ end. They have tried everything and many have obeyed the laws.
Business owners, citizens are stressed out and fed up with doing what is right and getting nowhere, no solution, no plan to get out of this hole.
With continued stress on these businesses including salary reductions for unknown extended periods, is just unbearable; and bouffs from our prime minister blaming us is just not cutting it anymore. No matter how these businesses try to keep afloat they just cannot see any light at the end of this tunnel.
Before this pandemic, the situation was tough already but these continued stop-start, reduced working hours, shutdown, open up, shutdown have taken a toll and this latest blow to lockdown everything basically, has again dealt a massive blow to business revenue and survival efforts.
The government has no clue of what to do to curb the spread and is running out of time. Many businesses have closed their doors for good, many more are about to bite the dust.
Economic downturn, crime rate rising and people on the breadline. Our people are stressed out, tired and hurting.
The real facts are being ignored – that there has been the mismanagement of border protection, mismanagement of early acquisition of vaccines, mismanagement of the energy sector (our lifeline), mismanagement of stimulus packages and mismanagement of pandemic restrictions.
Yes we understand the upsurge of Covid-19 positive cases with the highest figure of 399 reported in one day yesterday (May 5). This is very alarming. But shutting down without a proper plan to get vaccines into the country is just condemning us to failure and death.
Further, the failure to put in place any allocation of resources to support low income earners and businesses is a recipe for disaster for our citizens and their families.
A plan to source the vaccines and inoculate the population is what is needed immediately. Any standard five student who is preparing for the Secondary Entrance Assessment examination will tell you – if you fail to plan and prepare then plan and prepare to fail.
Commentary: Lockdown Woes
IT’S infuriating that Trinidad and Tobago is in another lockdown although our borders have been closed since March 2020.
Many local businesses such as bars, restaurants, gyms, fitness centres, spas, barbers, beauticians, cinemas and theatres are in serious financial state and about to collapse.
This even as government shuts down the island again with restrictions basically imposing a full lockdown until May 23, 2021. The reality looks like this maybe extended.
These businesses are seriously cash strapped after implementing pandemic saving measures including salary reductions for all staff in an effort to keep afloat.
As this lockdown continues, business owners cannot see a way out of the debt or manage their finances to stay in business. Financially speaking, all businesses, especially restaurants, the food industry and bars globally, have faced challenges to continue to survive during the Covid-19 pandemic and many are now on their last leg.
In the wake of infections reaching record numbers, we can understand the kneejerk reaction to lockdown. But we must ask how this is happening after 15 months of managing the pandemic. The Ministry of Health and the Ministry of National Security were all over the media for months beating their chest and insinuating they have done a good job for our citizens when we are in a worse state now than before March 2020.
The burden put upon citizens is at breaking levels as salaries for most of these workers have been reduced by 50%. Many are on the breadline while others are on no-pay leave even though these business owners have tried to keep their establishments afloat by initiatives such as curb side pick up, delivery and pick up orders.
They have tried their best to work with the government and observe the pandemic rules-upon-rules.
They are at their wits’ end. They have tried everything and many have obeyed the laws.
Business owners, citizens are stressed out and fed up with doing what is right and getting nowhere, no solution, no plan to get out of this hole.
With continued stress on these businesses including salary reductions for unknown extended periods, is just unbearable; and bouffs from our prime minister blaming us is just not cutting it anymore. No matter how these businesses try to keep afloat they just cannot see any light at the end of this tunnel.
Before this pandemic, the situation was tough already but these continued stop-start, reduced working hours, shutdown, open up, shutdown have taken a toll and this latest blow to lockdown everything basically, has again dealt a massive blow to business revenue and survival efforts.
The government has no clue of what to do to curb the spread and is running out of time. Many businesses have closed their doors for good, many more are about to bite the dust.
Economic downturn, crime rate rising and people on the breadline. Our people are stressed out, tired and hurting.
The real facts are being ignored – that there has been the mismanagement of border protection, mismanagement of early acquisition of vaccines, mismanagement of the energy sector (our lifeline), mismanagement of stimulus packages and mismanagement of pandemic restrictions.
Yes we understand the upsurge of Covid-19 positive cases with the highest figure of 399 reported in one day yesterday (May 5). This is very alarming. But shutting down without a proper plan to get vaccines into the country is just condemning us to failure and death.
Further, the failure to put in place any allocation of resources to support low income earners and businesses is a recipe for disaster for our citizens and their families.
A plan to source the vaccines and inoculate the population is what is needed immediately. Any standard five student who is preparing for the Secondary Entrance Assessment examination will tell you – if you fail to plan and prepare then plan and prepare to fail.