By Staff Writer
Consumers raced the lockdown clock again to stock up on food supplies and other home essentials before time ran out today, Thursday 27 January 2022.
The 6-hour window for shopping and other public commitments opened from 8.00am in the morning until 2.00pm in the afternoon.
Many of the main supermarkets around the Apia Township attracted big shopping crowds mostly with one or two hours left before closing time.
Parking spaces were full with some of the cars forced to park alongside the road in front of some of the shopping outlets.
Staff in some of the supermarkets noted that most of the shoppers were loading up on foodstuff.
“The main rush was around closing time, probably because most left their shopping to do last while they race off first to the banks to get some money and on to other important chores,” one supermarket personnel suggested.
Many of the supermarkets reported a similar response from shoppers in this second shopping break to last Tuesday after the first lockdown extension on Monday.
Another location that attracted a crowd was seen at the COVID vaccination clinic inside the Moto’otua compound of the old hospital site.
The clinic was open from 9.00am- 1.00pm in the afternoon.
In many of the busy intersections around Apia, the police roadblocks were already in place long before the lockdown opening hours ended.
The police and other essential or emergency workers are the only ones allowed movement in the country until the lockdown runs out at 6.00pm on Friday evening.