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The losers of the business time zone introduced yesterday may be the elders of small country shops and small settlements. However, in villages with an aging population, shopping is often a problem even without the coronavirus crisis.
According to a press release from the Government Information Center on Monday, the government adopted a proposal from the Council of Elders aimed at protecting the elderly while curbing the epidemic. According to the decision
FROM TUESDAY, THE SHOPPING BAR FOR SENIORS WILL BE INTRODUCED EVERY DAY OF THE WEEK FROM 09.00 TO 11.00 OR SATURDAYS AND SUNDAYS FROM 08.00 TO 10.00.
During this time, only those over 65 will be able to enter the following stores:
- pharmacies (this includes stores that sell perfumes, drugstores, household cleaners, chemicals and toilet paper),
- other drug and medical supply stores.
One million people are affected
Csaba Bubenkó, president of the Independent Union of Union Workers, expressed a month ago his concern that the trade is in a difficult situation even though epidemiological norms are respected, since risk factors affect more those who work in the sector.
CUSTOMERS ARE APPEARING IN LARGE NUMBERS IN THE STORES, SO IT IS ALWAYS IMPOSSIBLE TO KEEP ANY ELEMENT OF THE LEGAL REQUIREMENT, THE DISTANCE.
Csaba Bubenkó added that older people have already chosen the morning time for quiet shopping without crowds, so the shopping time zone, which goes into effect today, adjusts to their shopping habits. The union president said outside the capital
thousands of small family businesses
operates a grocery store in settlements with a population of less than 2,000, where it is now difficult for them to stay afloat due to the adverse effects of the epidemic.
Shops have been closed, especially in settlements with fewer than 2,000 inhabitants, and are now threatened by this danger.
Zoltán Zsán Szőke, president of the Áfeosz-Coop Association, added that two thousand to four hundred of all settlements in the country have a permanent resident of less than two thousand people, there are also villages where only a few dozen or a few hundred live . In the rural food supply chain, although
these stores play an important role in the daily food supply of more than a million people in various counties
– The president of the Apheos-Coop Association recently told the Hungarian nation. The expert added that recent months have shown that there is still a great need for small businesses in rural areas at risk of closure, as they tend to be
As a meeting place for the community, they are also important settings for the life of the people.
Postponed opening
In the village of Szalonna, twenty kilometers from the border with Slovakia, the two existing small shops could not fully meet the food needs of the population before the virus, so Zsolt Horváth would have opened his bakery in the spring. However, despite the significant financial investment, the opening had to be postponed due to the spread of the coronavirus epidemic.
In March, as the days went by, it became clear that we couldn’t open the bakery in May. In fact, not in June, and then we realized that not even in the fall. This is also a great financial difficulty for us.
Zsolt Horváth, who is also a local government representative in the 1,000-strong settlement, emphasized that the existing small stores cannot always meet customer needs.
Bread and milk run out early in the morning, so we wanted to open a shop with a similar profile.
Horváth added that not only would basic food be offered, as the nearest supermarket is twenty kilometers away.
They pay attention to the elderly
The deputy believes that the adverse effects of the epidemic have not only manifested themselves in business. The epidemic is a great challenge for the elderly, as their relationships have grown closer and they hardly know their relatives.
Most Hungarian villages are demographically much older than the urban population and consist of isolated but elderly communities. But precisely because the community is smaller and the population density is different,
you get a lot more attention.
Zala County Bak Mayor Attila Tamás Farkas has already told the Index about this. He added that convenience stores are open while the pub and restaurant have been slowly closing for two weeks due to restrictive measures. Therefore, care is taken not to leave residents alone during this period.
This year, we no longer hold cultural events, but instead try to address people in their homes.
The mayor also pointed out that the encounters between the locals have decreased, since even if they moved, it was mostly aimed only to get closer to the workplace, or to some basic necessity of life, such as going to a store or buying in a pharmacy .
Holidays are not to be missed either
In addition, the townspeople of Zala continue to participate actively in the masses, and in early December, Santa Claus will personally visit the children’s home to distribute gift packages or even flowers.
Attila Tamás Farkas is aware that the restrictions fall mainly on the elderly who live alone.
Already in spring we pay attention to them, help with administration, pay checks and talk to them almost every day, either by phone or in person, the latter following the distance rules.
The mayor pointed out. To overcome loneliness, a course was also launched in the summer at the Casa de la Cultura, where the older age group was taught the basics of computer management, so now many are familiar with Facebook and other computer management programs. chat, he added.
Cover image: MTI Photographer: Balázs Attila
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