Air of optimism as traders embrace new normal

THERE is an air of optimism around Omagh, Strabane, Dungannon and Cookstown, as shops across the towns get back up and running and embrace the ‘new normal.’

For the first time in almost 12 weeks, shops opened their doors on Monday to kickstart a week that signalled a major breakthrough in the Covid-19 lockdown.

Omagh shut down at the end of March and quickly became a ghost town with little traffic or pedestrians on the High Street.

Last week, the reopening of McDonald’s drive thru sparked major interest as fans of the fast food restuarant queued for up to an hour to place their order.

Now there is further light at the end of the tunnel as shoppers return to the town and stores big and small reopen.

Some of the larger shops reopened on Monday, while from today, Friday, June 12, all small non essential retailers can reopen.

Omagh is set to become a hive of activity once again this weekend, but shops will look very different with a wide range of safety and social distancing measures in place to protect staff and customers.

The Economy Minister Dianne Dodds said the reopening of our local shopping sector is a “significant step forward” in the Executive’s pathway to recovery.

“It was agreed that as long as retailers can adhere to the necessary safety measures, and there is no increase in the spread of the virus by Thursday, then these shops can reopen.

“All retailers must be able to implement measures that minimise the risk to their staff and to the people who visit their stores,” concluded Mrs Dodds.