ÐÓ°ÉÐÔ°É

Kessoon Johnson, a 60-year-old resident in Greater Portmore, St Catherine, who suffers from rheumatoid arthritis and lupus, said after being out for extensive hours last Saturday she has been having terrible pain.

"I couldn't get up before 4 o'clock yesterday evening because of pain. It was a horrible experience for me last Saturday," she said. "I was so disappointed and with so much people around you and if you give a little space people just come before you."

Due to the rapid spread of COVID-19, St Catherine has been under lockdown. In the first week, Wednesday and Saturday were the only days residents could shop for the essentials.

Johnson, who was seen at the Shoppers Fair Supermarket in Greater Portmore, told THE STAR that she had been there for a while.

"I have been here from 7 in the morning and now it's like minutes after one. I can understand that it is a trial and error thing they are trying to work but this two days a week thing is not working," she told THE STAR

Johnson also suffers from Sjogren's syndrome, an autoimmune disease which means it attacks glands that produce tears and saliva. She shouldn't be exposed to sunrays and the sun was blazing in Portmore last Saturday.

She explained that even if she wanted to breach the rules and enter through the line reserved for senior citizens, her conscience wouldn't allow it

"I am just 60, so I wasn't going to pretend I was 65 and go into the elderly people line. I'm one of those people who follow the rules so I walked with my ID and everything," she said.

She added that her ailments make it impossible for her to stand for long.

"Even in the supermarket when I finally got in was terrible I had to find a seat in there and sit and ask my daughter to help me pick up the stuff," Johnson told THE STAR. "I am the one who does all the shopping in my house and when I come home and check there are things that I never remember to get because I was so weak."

Johnson said that she is calling on the Government to extend the shopping days to ease the chaos.

"This two day thing is not working and if you ask me, this is spreading the disease more. When it (shopping) was allowed every day, nobody was rushing and persons were practising social distancing," she said. "We need more days. It is not easy for us over in Portmore."