Yesterday’s announcement of new circulation restrictions sparked new crises in the economic sectors that, while agreeing to the measures announced by the government, do not stop feeling the negative impact of the time limits on their businesses.
Supermarkets, banks, travel agencies, restaurants, hotels, clothing stores, intercity transportation companies, wholesale and retail trade and other businesses triggered emergency meetings to determine how they will operate under the new regulations to stop the expansion of COVID-19 and at what times.
Shopping centers, supermarkets and commercial banks announced the new hours for customer service in the afternoon. The Association of Commercial Banks (ABA) has announced that starting today, Monday through Friday, all banking entities will be closed until 4:00 p.m. and that the first two Saturdays and Sundays will be closed in January. always.
The CCN Group has announced that its supermarket chain (National) will operate today from 6:00 am to 7:00 am and that it will operate from January 2-10 from Monday to Friday from 6:00 am to 5 hours. : 00 noon, Saturday and Sunday from 6 a.m. to 12 noon with delivery service until 11 a.m. At the same time, the shopping centers Jumbo and Centro Cuesta Nacional will be active.
Traders
When consulting the commercial sector represented by the National Organization of Commercial Companies (ONEC), by the Dominican Federation of Merchants (FDC) and by the National Federation of Merchants and Entrepreneurs (Fenacerd), their leaders expressed their views on the new restrictions However, they suggested to the government to be more rigorous in fulfilling physical distance to avoid public agglomerations.
Iván García, chairman of the FDC, stated that office hours from January 2-10 are Monday through Friday from 8:00 am to 5:00 pm and Saturdays and Sundays until 11:00 am. the morning.
He added that since the announcement of the curfew extension, people have started to feel anxious about stocking up on supplies.
Cancellations
The president of the Dominican Association of Tour Operators (Adotur), Jacinto Fernández, said the government immediately announced the new curfew and that local customers started asking travel agents to cancel their reservations and their money, causing a level of chaos.
He explained that the people claimed that not having a circulation permit would make it difficult for them to travel to the hotels and then return home. Faced with this situation, tour operators have contacted the Ministry of Tourism (Mitur) to seek alternatives and comply with the commitments already made.
Flexibility
Fernández explained that Adotur has proposed to the government, through the Ministry of Tourism, to circulate people staying in hotels and tourist complexes from December 31 to January 4 until 7:00 a.m., provided that Present voucher or invoice from travel agents, hotel exit letter or hotel check ticket.
Despite attempts to find out the situation of the hotel sector with the new restrictions, it was not possible to obtain the statements of the Association of Hotels and Tourism of the Dominican Republic (Asonahores).
Restaurants and nightclubs dedicated to leisure and entertainment are among the sectors most affected by the curfew imposed since the spread of the Covid pandemic in the country last March.
SEPA
The great sacrificed
Nocturnal MSMEs
Small and medium-sized businesses in the formal and informal sectors, especially those that operate at night, are the big ones that have been sacrificed with the curfews announced since the start of the pandemic.
Drink consumption
Despite the fact that between January 2 and January 10, 2021, companies have to close their doors from 5:00 p.m., the offer of sales of alcoholic drinks until 6:00 p.m.
Digital banking
The Association of Banks suggested that users use digital platforms and avoid crowds and contribute to reducing the presence of people in branches.