The lifting of Level 5 restrictions earlier this week has seen many Roscommon businesses reopen following the second Covid-19 lockdown.
Retailers, gyms, hairdressers, barbers, etc. were permitted to reopen on Tuesday and Friday will see members of the hospitality sector including hotels, restaurants, and pubs serving food also reopening.
Roscommon Chamber of Commerce President, Brendan Allen, says the mood is much brighter in Roscommon town this week.
“The town is beginning to come alive again, thankfully. There was good news again this week with the vaccine updates and the reopening of a range of businesses and services so hopefully we are seeing the beginning of the end of Covid-19.
“The first lockdown was extremely tough on people because it was the unknown. Many businesses did a lot of hard work to abide by social distancing guidelines and prepare for reopening so it was hard to have to close down for a second time. Public health is the priority, however, so it was understandable in order to bring the number of cases down.
“It has been a tough few weeks for businesses in Roscommon town so hopefully that’s the last of the severe lockdowns and we can see plenty of positivity in the run-up to Christmas,” he said.
Businesses in Roscommon town have been quick to get back into the swing of things this week.
“It’s good to get back open again and get people in the shop door,” Eddie Donnellan of Donnellan & Co. told the Roscommon People earlier this week.
“During this lockdown our local customers supported us brilliantly and we had our full complement of staff working, which was great. They were really happy to get back in and see the customers this week,” he added.
George Bannon’s Sports Shop was also back in action and George said it was a relief to be meeting customers once again.
“It’s great to be open once again because it’s so good to see people stepping through the door. Thankfully our customers have remained loyal to us down through the years and it’s great to see them again,” he said.
Hairdressers, barbers and beauty salons also reopened on Tuesday and Louise Conneally-Dowd, who runs Louise’s Beauty Studio in Roscommon town, told the Roscommon People that her business is already bouncing back.
“I am fully booked now until Christmas Eve so I’ll be working seven days a week to fit everyone safely in. My clients have been amazing as always and this year everyone has been supporting local. I’m delighted to be back and hoping that 2021 will be a much better year for everyone”.
