Comfort food such as ice-cream and snacks appear to be in high demand in Tobago, as the COVID-19 crisis continues in this country.
According to some Tobago businessmen, they are running a close second to hand sanitizers and masks.
Speaking with Guardian Media on Saturday, Renaldo Belfon, the manager of Viewport Supermarket, said there has been a high demand for sugary comfort food like ice-cream in the past week, as stocks of this sweet treat are now running low.
Belfon said the unusually long lines seen at supermarkets are expected since this is month-end and persons have come out to purchase groceries en masse.
The supermarket manager said notwithstanding the month-end crush, consumers have been washing hands and observing social distancing rules.
Meanwhile, Mohammed Nasir Uddin, the manager of Mumtaz Enterprises at the Gulf City, Lowlands, Tobago, told Guardian Media that the demand for masks, gloves and sanitizers is rising.
He said while the re-usable fabric masks are being utilized by the public, many consumers still prefer to use the surgical masks.
“I have made every effort to get the masks and gloves from my foreign suppliers because I am very much concerned about the impact of the COVID-19 virus,” Nasir Uddin said.
Guardian Media also spoke with the management at Bhaggan’s Drugs in Tobago, who indicated that the traffic was not as busy there, since consumers are purchasing mostly vitamins and other supplements.
The management team said they have made requests for more supplies to meet the public demand. However, they explained that the logistical challenges which wholesalers are facing is impacting on their ability to deliver some goods.
