It was a quiet Saturday in the city today as many spent time at home with their close friends and families.

However, some shoppers took advantage of the empty city to do their back-to-school shopping and other essentials.

Retail worker Shabna Nisha says it wasn’t a good day for them as there weren’t a lot of customers.

“Speaking truly no, it wasn’t a busy day. It wasn’t a good day for us”

It was business as usual for the retailers, and Suresh Raniga says some shoppers took the time to do their back-to-school shopping.

“There were just here on their own accord, so they saw the shops open, they come and shop”

While some were doing their shopping, others in Tadevo Navua were celebrating the new year in style with the typical beating of drum to celebrate their resilience against the COVID pandemic.

“We are very happy about New year because nobody lost their lives so we’re happy”

The New Year’s public holiday will be observed on Monday.