THOUGH some Jamaicans are in support of Prime Minister Andrew Holness’s measures to contain the spread of the novel coronavirus, they are predicting gloom should he extend the no-movement days further.

Holness, on August 19, designated seven days as no-movement days, including last Sunday, Monday and Tuesday, as well as tomorrow, Monday and Tuesday, and next week Sunday.

Individuals in Manor Park, Papine and other areas in St Andrew with whom the Jamaica Observer spoke this week, rejected the idea of more confinement, though they believe another series of lockdown days might be ordered by the prime minister.

“The first weekend was not a great success for us as contractors for National Baking Company,” David Cole, who was seen selling bread and other items from a truck in Papine, told the Observer.

“We lost a lot of sales, but what we had to do was put in some extra work in terms of coordinating with our customers [as to] when we can reach them. We had to be out later. If we used to work till 3:00 pm we would put in some extra work, so you know we would try to work as close as possible to the curfew hours in order to capitalise on the loss of sales during the days of lockdown,” he said, adding that they have to be doing two days’ work in one day to maximise profits.

He continued: “More lockdown would mean more pressure to the country. If we were following the protocols it wouldn’t be like this, but it is what it is. To get things in order, this is what we have to do, but it is a big damper to the sales department overall because we have lost a lot of sales.”

Cole’s colleague Deandre Lee agreed with his stance. Lee said last week’s three days of no movement enabled him to spend more time with his family but, salarywise, they did not work in his favour.

“We the workers lost based on wage pay and the bills are piling up. That affects the family in a sense, in terms of putting back groceries in your own house even though you are working and not being able to supply the customers. I wouldn’t support an extension to the [seven] days’ lockdown. I would more support the curfew hours being cut short because the work has to be done and people have to get paid,” Lee told the Observer.

A security guard in Manor Park who requested anonymity said Holness blundered when he ordered that cornershops close during the recent lockdown, declaring that although he is a supporter of the prime minister’s Jamaica Labour Party, he is upset that shops that sell small items cannot operate during the lockdown.

Rudolph McNeil, a shopper in the Manor Park area who works in the business process outsourcing [BPO] sector, shared that he was ahead of the game in terms of preparation for the lockdown, but some of his colleagues were caught flat-footed. He lamented that they received their salaries after the first lockdown, which impacted them negatively.

He, too, was not in support of more lockdowns after the seventh day of no movement.

“The biggest thing in terms of a lesson I have learned from the last three days’ lockdown is just that you have to prepare as best as possible. In terms of my situation with work, everything we have pre-planned so the no-movement days sort of tossed us a curve ball, so it is giving us more work than we actually anticipated because of the [BPO] industry. It sucks for the most part, when you look at it, because you may have had stuff planned and then now you have to find additional money from the budget that you never planned for. In that aspect it has been pretty hectic,” he said.

Other shoppers in the Manor Park area also rejected any possible extension to the lockdown.

“The only problem is if him declare any more. Him can done wid it after next week Sunday,” Sharon Brown said.

Another shopper, Charmaine, said she lives alone so the period of no movement last week was manageable. She was, however, concerned about small business people.

“For me it was okay, but I don’t really like it because the small businessman suffer. I consider them, but for me, I work from home. If the PM says we will get more weekend lockdowns, I am not going to like it, to tell the truth. It feels awkward that we are shut in and can’t go anywhere, so when you are locked in and you are not sick or anything, it feels out of place — and that is truthful. We can’t go to church, you can’t go play, you can’t visit, and you can’t sit down and have a drink. It is kind of way out for me,” said Charmaine.