By YOURI KEMP

Tribune Business Reporter

ykemp@tribunemedia.net

Not all restaurants at Arawak Cay and Potter’s Cay dock will be re-opening tomorrow as some are still implementing the COVID-19 health and safety protocols mandated by the Government.

Rodney Russell, president of the Arawak Cay Conch, Fish, Vegetables And Food Vendors Association, told Tribune Business: “I did a walk about with my members yesterday, asking different questions. I had different ideas and different knowledge on what they planned to do, and how they planned to do it, and everybody is excited and they are willing to follow the guidelines and regulations. We will see how it works.”

A safety protocol inspection was part of the walkabout exercise conducted by Mr Russell, as he asked vendors what their plans were. His observations were that vendors are complying with the Government’s orders.

“They are now doing what they told me they are going to do, and that is freshen up and make sure protocols are where they are and see how best it works,” he said. Arawak Cay and Potter’s Cay vendors have been given permission to offer outdoor dining only from Friday, July 12, meaning that they cannot permit customers inside their restaurants.

And Mr Russell said that while “everybody is returning” to Arawak Cay, some establishments will not be open on Friday. He said: “They prefer to wait until Monday, but they all will be following the protocols that the government has put in place.”

“Some are sceptical with opening on Friday because Friday is a short week for them with the system where the government is removing the lockdown on Saturday and Sunday. They are now going to be operating on Saturday and Sunday, and they understand that at 7pm the places will be closed. So they are working with the government and we will se how things work. If things don’t work they will be making the adjustments.”

Mr Russell said he suspects “over 80 percent of the vendors will return on Friday, and some persons still believe they can do more”. The remaining 20 percent that have opted for a Monday re-opening, Mr Russell said, are those who catered primarily to the tourism market and are “playing it by ear”.

Wendi Constantine, president of the Bahamas Dock and Allied Venues Vendors Association, added: “We are getting ready now. Some persons are still doing renovations at this time but they will all re-open. Some won’t make it on Friday because they are still doing renovations, but we had a promotion for an advertising app where people could do curb-side, deliveries and pick up and they are going to adhere to all of the COVID-19 regulations. We have a credit card application campaign going on, so we are doing a lot of things on Potter’s Cay dock.”

Gregory Minnis, dock manager at Potter’s Cay, said: “All stalls that are ready with all of the necessary apparatus that needs to be done, they will be allowed to open. Hand sanitiser, the masks and there are some other requirements that they have to have for the safety and health of the customers and themselves, and so we are putting in new methods to ensure that we follow the World Health Organisation guidelines.

“Some of them are prepared to open on Friday. Some persons are deciding not to open, and some persons are thinking about opening on Monday. We are not pressuring them; we are just asking them to make sure that they are prepared to open.”

Emphasising that he wants Potter’s Cay Dock to use COVID-19 to improve, Mr Minnis said: “We are also trying to restructure the parking as there will be no parking in front of the stalls. We have already sent a proposal in to allow parking to be on the right coming in and on the right going out.

“Once we get people to follow the protocol, we will be OK as we have a group of people out here doing some things. They are putting in grease traps, they are putting in water heaters, they are putting apps on their phones so they can market their business. A lot of things are being done. People are renovating and trying to upgrade their stalls, so changes are coming to Potter’s Cay and it is getting better.”