TCI News
Covid-19 forces closure of major stores in Turks and Caicos
#Providenciales, Turks and Caicos – Monday July 14, 2020 — A deeply concerning reveal on Monday evening, when a leading grocer announced it had to suddenly shut down due to Covid 19.
Now at 72 confirmed cases since the start of the pandemic, Turks and Caicos is recording a steady climb of positive cases of Covid 19 and it is beginning to impact retail and wholesale spaces. At least two major stores have had, in the past week, to shut their doors when at least one member of staff was confirmed with the virus.
Wine Cellar announced its closure last week. Last night, it was Graceway IGA – the country’s largest grocery store.
IGA closed an hour early on Monday July 13 and informed that it would remain that way until noon Tuesday July 14.
The public statement said the Ministry of Health informed the company that a staff member was positive for the coronavirus and that led to the 18-hour closure and deep cleaning of the Leeward Highway located store.
In response to our questions about the rapid rate of reopening; IGA replied that their reopening is not too swift as management had prepared for this potential eventuality.
“As cases of Covid began to proliferate on island, we realised that we needed to prepare our plan of response for when/if a colleague tested positive. Once we were informed of the positive test, we were able to quickly activate those protocols. Parkway Cleaning, a professional cleaning service, was commissioned to conduct a thorough deep clean of the entire building during the overnight hours.”
Images of the deep and electrostatic cleaning at Graceway IGA were shared with Magnetic Media by management, which added in their media response that, “This was done in consultation with the Department of Environmental Health.”
No specific department of the store of the positive case is revealed, instead Graceway Supermarkets offered this explanation: “…the contacts of that staff member were sent home to self-isolate in accordance with the Ministry of Health guidelines.
Staff are naturally concerned, especially for their colleague. Employees are reassured of our safety measures and our support in the event anyone gets ill.”
It was also shared, that shopping carts and high touch areas were a part of that cleaning exercise.
Both IGA and Wine Cellar are now reopened.
Wine Cellar informed in a statement that in addition to mandatory mask wearing of staff and customers and hand sanitizer at entrances, their in-office workforce has been reduced and staff will now undergo daily temperature checks.
Turks and Caicos currently has 58 active cases of Covid-19.
TCIG knew from April that fuel factor could surge almost 80%; Minister says $500 cost-of-living payment was part of Government’s response
PROVIDENCIALES — The Turks and Caicos Government knew months before July’s shocking electricity bills that consumers faced a potentially massive increase in the fuel factor.
Minister of Information Technology and Energy E. Jay Saunders revealed Friday that Pelican Energy warned his Ministry in April that generation fuel costs were projected to rise from $3.09 per gallon in May to $4.79 in June and July.
That translated into a projected fuel factor jump from about 17.5 cents to 31 cents per kilowatt-hour — an increase of almost 80%.
Saunders said he personally advised Cabinet of the projected increase and presented options for cushioning the impact.
He characterised Government’s $500 cost-of-living payment as its “initial response” to rising fuel costs, before a separate fuel-factor subsidy was approved.
Cabinet records show Government agreed on June 24 to provide funding to mitigate the fuel-factor impact, with the relief programme approved July 8.
Eligible residential customers — those averaging less than $1,500 monthly over the previous three bills — are capped at 22 cents per kWh from July through October.
Pelican confirmed Friday that Government’s contribution was already applied to July bills, meaning the bills now triggering widespread public outrage would have been even higher without the subsidy.
Saunders did not disclose the programme’s total cost.
His admission that Government knew since April, however, raises another question amid the backlash: why were consumers not directly warned by Government about the scale of the approaching increase?
PROVIDENCIALES — New commercial Crown Land applications are facing a six-month pause as the Turks and Caicos Islands Government takes inventory of its holdings.
During Cabinet meetings held July 15 and 16, an immediate six-month moratorium was approved on the acceptance, processing
and approval of new applications for commercial Crown Land grants, leases and allocations.
The pause will remain in place pending completion of the Crown Land Inventory Review. Cabinet’s summary did not state what prompted the review or indicate whether availability of commercial Crown Land is a concern.
The two-day meeting also advanced major consumer legislation. Cabinet approved the National Fair Competition Policy 2026 and drafting instructions for a Fair Competition Ordinance, moving TCI toward stronger consumer protection and fair competition rules.
In Grand Turk, Cabinet approved rezoning land in the North West Suburbs from low-density to medium-density residential use to facilitate a new apartment development.
Cabinet also advanced fisheries reforms, water legislation allowing private and public-private investment, minerals legislation and appointments across tourism, health and finance.
Progress toward establishing a TCI Credit Union was also noted.
PROVIDENCIALES — Major development projects outside Providenciales received Cabinet attention on July 8, with Government approving agreements connected to the redevelopment of Dellis Cay and a resort development in North Caicos.
Cabinet approved a Development Agreement between the Turks and Caicos Islands Government, Desarrollos Hotelco DC Ltd. and
Desarrollos Hotelco Astoria Ltd. for the redevelopment of Dellis Cay.
The long-discussed private island development sits between Providenciales and North Caicos and its return to Cabinet signals another step toward redevelopment.
Cabinet also approved amendments to an agreement involving SPR LND Ltd. (Royal Reef) and TCIG Development Agreement for a resort/hotel development in North Caicos.
Other decisions included approval of the First Supplementary Appropriation Bill 2026 for onward transmission and the appointment of Cindy Ewing as Chair of the Invest TCI Board, effective August 1 for three years.
Cabinet also noted consultation outcomes concerning changes to business licensing, approved professional membership expenses for qualifying Telecommunications Commission staff and approved advice relating to the Interim Clinical and Estates Services PPP.
The July 8 meeting was chaired by Acting Governor Anya Williams.
Photo Credit: Royal Reef (Keith)
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