PRIME Minister Dr Hubert Minnis announced the suspension of the food shopping schedule for the remainder of this week.

The schedule will resume next Monday.

In the meantime, grocery stores will be open from 6am to 7pm on weekdays, with 6am to 8am reserved for seniors and people with disabilities.

During weekend lockdowns scheduled until the end of this month, the stores will open on Saturdays from 6am to 6pm for essential workers only. Pharmacies will also be allowed to open on Saturdays until 3pm for essential workers.

“Police will be present at major stores to support physical distancing measures,” he said.

The shopping schedule was introduced last week to limit the number of people at food stores and prevent the spread of COVID-19.

The plan backfired, however, as residents prepared for the five-day lockdown, with stores across New Providence and Grand Bahama bombarded with shoppers who sometimes created chaotic scenes and flouted social distancing guidelines.

Dr Minnis said food stores are required to have hand sanitisers available for everyone entering their establishments. He again assured the public that there is no food shortage in the country and no need to panic buy. “There is enough food,” he stressed.

He warned against hoarding and possibly stocking up on food with a limited shelf life. “You do not wish to make yourself and your family sick by consuming food that has expired,” he said.

He encouraged store owners who encounter difficulty enforcing distancing rules to use a ticket or numbering system that let people stay in their vehicles until their number is called.

He also encouraged residents to embrace reputable online grocery delivery services as a way to remain physically distant from other people during this time.

“The more we create online ordering, payment and delivery options, the more we keep our domestic economy functioning while also reducing lines at stores,” he said. “There is a major opportunity that exists for businesses that create easy-to-use online payment and delivery options. I advise companies that have been slow to (do) this to see how they can retool their operations to meet the challenges of these times.”Dr Minnis, who recently announced a ban on non-medical mask imports, clarified that this policy does not apply to mask orders made before April 10. He also said the government will appoint a food security task force to ensure every resident who needs a meal is provided with food.

“This is a major and fundamental priority,” he said.

Acknowledging that some people with food needs do not qualify for Ministry of Social Services assistance and can’t get help from the National Insurance Board, Dr Minnis said the Ministry of Health has brought together governmental, non-governmental and private sector companies to examine food insecurity issues and mobilise resources to address this challenge.

“Private sector donors have included Atlantis resort, Baha Mar resort, and other known and anonymous donors inside and outside of the hotel sector,” he said. “Through their combined efforts, fresh produce, cooked meals, grocery packets and other food supplies have been delivered directly to those in need in Abaco, Grand Bahama, Eleuthera, and New Providence.

“In the last seven days, the Bahamas Feeding Network distributed $40,000 in food vouchers and between $10,000 and $15,000 in food parcels; Hands for Hunger has distributed 50,000 lbs of donated food: $5,000 in non-perishables and are budgeting about $20,000 for food vouchers. We encourage others to donate food.The Food Security Task Force will indicate how such donations can be made.”