ST JAMES, Jamaica — Scores of market vendors who ply their wares at the St James Municipal Corporation-run Charles Gordon Market in Montego Bay have complained bitterly about the facility’s opening hours of 6:00am to 2:00pm, due to COVID-19.

“We all agree that we have to protect ourselves and our customers from the virus, but the 2:00 pm closing time is too early; it should be about 5:00,” food vendor Roy James told OBSERVER ONLINE during a visit to the facility yesterday.

Like James, Nicholas Pinnock, a clothes vendor, believes that there should be longer opening hours.

He said the restricted opening hours have resulted in poor sales.

“The sales have reached an all-time low in the clothes department. The time is too near – they should have given us a time like from 6:00am to 5:00pm, that would be better and more convenient, than from 6:00 am to 2:00 pm. Because by the time you pack out your things, you have to leave. We can’t mek nuh money,” he complained.

Trina Jackson, a vegetable vendor, agreed.

“It is hard for you to make any money. We have to sell out our goods for less than what we buy it for from the farmers, because the time too short and we don’t want to take back home the load,” she argued.

“We really support the Government’s efforts to fight the virus, but all we are saying is that we need more time to sell our load.”

As part of efforts by the Government to curtail spread of the novel coronavirus, markets islandwide are permitted to open from 6:00 am to 2:00 pm. The restriction took effect on Wednesday.

Mark Cummings