Bahrain businesses are back and looking forward to returning to ‘new normal’
TDT | Manama
The Daily Tribune – www.newsofbahrain.com
It’s business as usual across the Kingdom of Bahrain after the reopening of non-essential commercial sectors and activities. Businesses, which have faced an unprecedented level of disruption since the outbreak of the coronavirus (COVID-19) last year, are now looking forward to life after “lockdown” and returning to the “new normal.” It is, however, safe to assume that the government’s decision to ease the curbs will not be permanent.
Health authorities are closely monitoring the daily infections, and in the event of another sudden spike in the number of cases, they will surely reevaluate things. So what does life look like after the month-long restrictions to prevent the spread of COVID-19 have been lifted? People have started getting out of their homes and returned to work. The economy is back in action! Since the early hours of Saturday morning, Bahrainis and expatriates have started trooping to popular malls and markets in Manama, Muharraq, Isa Town and Jidali. Restaurants and cafes witness a large turnout although some businessmen believe it will take a while for business to bounce back.
They are, however, confident that they will gradually be able to recoup their losses as life inches towards normalcy. The Daily Tribune met yesterday with many citizens and residents while shopping in malls and popular markets. They were one in praising the government decided to reopen the economy, and stressed the need to combine all efforts and adhere to all precautionary measures and protocols to sustain the downward trend on the number of new cases. Shop owners are expecting that business will get better in the coming days as the Kingdom prepares for the four-day celebrations of Eid Al Adha which is tentatively set to start on 19 July.
Men’s and women’s salons are now receiving booking appointments. An owner of a women’s salon in Muharraq confirmed that reservations on Friday were received hours after the National Medical Taskforce for Combating the Coronavirus (COVID-19) announced its decision to reopen their establishments.
Ismail, a worker in a men’s salon in Riffa, said that he had received several calls to book advance appointments. However, the failure of some to arrive at their reserved times led to crowding and waiting in front of his shop.
He said that the salon sector is one of the most affected in this period of the pandemic, stressing that the prices of services witnessed a slight increase due to the added financial cost of purchasing equipment such as a hand-held digital thermometer. TDT also toured the open markets in Jidali, Isa Town and Manama. The markets witnessed a very low turnout in the morning, and sellers attributed this to the high summer temperatures and humidity.
Shoppers only began to arrive after four in the afternoon. Dusting off his goods, a mobile phone and accessories shop owner in Isa Town, Noureddine, said that he was expecting a limited number of customers. “I expected it. In fact, I only sold a few pieces of cellphones, but I know business will get better in the coming days,” he added. Tariq, an owner of a shop selling nuts and sweets at the Manama Central Market, said that the reopening of public markets will revive the demand for buying his goods, which has deteriorated due to the reluctance of customers to visit the market.
Despite the rising temperature, he remains optimistic that business would gradually improve. The scene in popular malls is completely different from the old and open markets.
Vaccinated shoppers are heading back to the malls. The past two days witnessed a lot of activities in malls, especially in stores selling clothes and accessories. Sellers expect that the turnout would increase even more as the Eid al-Adha approaches.
Shop owners follow strictly all precautionary measures from sterilising customers’ clothes, and observing social distancing, to sterilising hands and surfaces. Yesterday, most restaurants and cafes, especially coinciding with the weekend, were filled with customers since the early morning for breakfast. In the evening, the restaurants received large numbers of customers.
Related Posts