.png)
00:00
00:00
00:00
Donovan Wignall
Small business operators are holding out hope curfew hours will be reduced at least on Grand Market night.
Grant Market activities typically take place throughout Christmas Eve into Christmas morning.
However, the current nightly curfew begins at 9 o'clock.
Donovan Wignall, President of the Micro Small and Medium Enterprise Alliance, wants this moved to midnight on Christmas Eve.
"Relaxing the curfew hours wouldn't be a bad thing, specifically Grand Market. We are, you know, the itinerant traders, ICS, etc. and even the stores, big commercial establishments look forward to Grand Market night to make that extra buck.... That particular night I think they could extend the curfew probably after 12 o'clock," he suggested.
Mr. Wignall noted that there was a 10 per cent increase in commerce after the last one-hour reduction in the curfew hours.
He argued that more time for business would be especially beneficial for community establishments, such as bars.
Mr. Wignall said he sees no reason business hours cannot be extended if persons follow safety protocols, such as mask wearing, observing physical distance and not drinking "to the point where you lose control and get careless."
The government is expected to announce within the next two weeks whether it will be relaxing COVID-19 restrictions for the Christmas period.