The petroleum retail trade is already experiencing a significant fall-off in business due to COVID-19, as the number of motorists filling up at the pumps continue to plummet.

The situation has become even more severe with the closure of schools and many businesses in the private and public sector having implemented a work-from-home policy for some staff.

President of the Jamaica Gasolene Retailers Association (JGRA), Gregory Chung told the Jamaica Observer that things were expected to get worse for the petroleum retail trade.

“We are trying to get numbers now but our preliminary reports are showing a huge fall-off…the roads are like a Sunday, or a little bit busier than a Sunday but definitely not the kind of traffic that we are used to. We are going to have adjustments. we have already said to our members, you’re going to have to be ultra efficient during this time, look at staffing with a view to keep them but how best to manage…start looking at those things. So we are in preparation mode because we believe that it will get worse,” he said.

Last week Prime Minister Andrew Holness directed administrators in the public sector to allow non-essential staff who are able to work from home to do so, as part of measures to reduce interactions and contain the spread of the virus, as the number of cases of COVID-19 in the island continues to increase. Up to yesterday the official number of those infected stood at 19.

The private sector has also been advised to implement similar work-from-home policies.

Chung said that alternative measures for petrol stations, which are considered part of the essential services, could include alternating day operations, and earlier hours of operation; and they will also be examining areas which may not be necessary right now because the business isn’t there.

He said that retailers have implemented measures based on the guidelines of the ministry of health, but great risk remains for staff who have no choice but to commute on public transportation. “The biggest risk we see is getting to work and home, because the public transportation system is very tight and they’re trying to put as many people as they can in those vehicles…even at three [passengers]. What if someone is sick in the back?” he asked.

Chung noted that retailers were doing their best to keep staff members and the public safe. “We have put measures in place, such as hand washing, swiping of the pump nozzles every half hour, and we have set up hand washing stations on the pump islands — because soap and water is best for fighting this virus, even moreso than these fancy hand sanitisers that are hard to get.”

The JGRA president said the prices at the pumps are expected to move down, and that already there have been several $3.00 downward movements over the past month. “We expect prices to go down to follow oil prices, which are at an all-time low right now,” Chung said.

“Normally you would be happy with a downward movement in price of gas because that would normally mean your customers are going to be spending more, and end up buying other things in your store and so on. but these are exceptional times and I don’t foresee any much benefit [from that] right now because people are not moving as much,” he explained.

The JGRA represents over 150 petroleum retailers across Jamaica.