You can buy goods as normal up until 4pm on the Saturday, and then until 2pm on the Sunday. So it's not a total restriction- just a pain if you need to purchase certain items outside that time.
That said, I appreciate you're frustration, but as long as I had time to be prepared I wouldn't be...
Could you post a copy on this page. I cannot see how this event can force local traders to stop their daily business for a whole weekend, and it's not happened before.
Need to see that.