Traders anticipating even tighter restrictions have breathed a sigh of relief: the adjustment is large but business specific

The outgoing government held a special meeting on Monday, during which it decided to further tighten restrictions on supermarkets.

The government has indicated that large supermarkets should be allocated at least 30 square meters per person, and in smaller ones, at least 15 square meters.

It was also decided to introduce a new requirement for the management of customer flows: it is expected that parking lots will not be able to occupy more than 20%. places. Consequently, shoppers must park only in every fifth spot.

Acting Health Minister Aurelius Veryga said during a press conference that this requirement will help control the flow of shoppers, because residents, knowing there will be difficulties in parking a car, will think hard about whether shopping is worth it.

“Most of us are lazy. If we need to walk, we decide that maybe we won’t, because people use public transport little, and it makes sense to do so because there is a possibility of getting infected. Because it will not be possible to park a car comfortably. , it is likely that a large number of people think several times about the need to drive to the supermarket, “said the Acting Minister of Health.

Due to the fact that it will not be possible to park a car comfortably, a large number of people will probably think several times whether it is necessary to drive to the supermarket, said A.Veryga.

M.Statulevičius: restrictions on implementations

Traders, meanwhile, have breathed a sigh of relief that the restrictions are not as severe as they have said so far.

Mindaugas Statulevičius, president of the Lithuanian Real Estate Development Association (LNTPA), praised the restrictions announced on Monday than those discussed by the president together with the Council of Experts over the weekend.

“The possibility of closing supermarkets on weekends and Fridays until 5 in the afternoon was considered. In that case, the flows would simply be reduced in a shorter time and the risk of congestion would be greater. And the current restrictions are being implemented. ” 15 minutes I speak.

According to M. Statulevičius, the new area restrictions per person are very close to what is currently happening in supermarkets. It is estimated that the flows in them will decrease every week, so the managers believe that it will not be difficult to meet this requirement.

“Even on weekends in large supermarkets, the figure is very close to 30 seats or not even reaching it. Especially as people’s responsibilities increase, they are encouraged not to go or buy, as are the merchants themselves. The flows are really falling, according to our observations, compared to November and October, the number of visits has dropped by 20% ”, he commented.

For this reason, the LNTPA head assured that in December, despite the festive period, attendance in shopping centers will not be high.

It is true that he notices another problem: the crowd at the supermarket door.

“The problem can arise if too many people come and they need to stay outside the door, outside, where they will sail again. This is not very good either. When it dissipates in the mall, perhaps it is a lesser evil. However, the fall in flows will definitely compensate for this and there will be no harvest, “he said.

M. Statulevičius also positively assessed the requirement for parking spaces, although it will take time to prepare for the business. True, this ban will be easier to implement for those who already monitor the flow of visitors to the sites and have systems in place.

“Of course, they will have to communicate together to avoid traffic jams, waiting and inconvenience. For others who do not have such systems, the challenge will be greater. I believe that only a few rows of parking spaces will be isolated with partitions, STOP strips or grilles. construction, ”he said.

R.Vainienė: requirements have been strictly tightened

Rūta Vainienė, Director of the Lithuanian Trade Companies Association 15 minutes It also agreed that the proposed additional tightening for traders is very broad but selective.

In his view, to control traffic, these restrictions will work more effectively than closing supermarkets on weekends, leading to more congestion on other days.

“The requirements have become very tightened. The first requirement: the area per buyer increased from 1.5 to 3 times. This requirement is familiar, it has been applied for some time. It is simply necessary to perform a mathematical operation and change the numbers that are necessary to ensure that there are no more visitors than required at the same time ”, commented R.Vainienė, adding that this measure is aimed at flow management.

Meanwhile, speaking about the second requirement, which allows parking in supermarket parking lots only in one out of five places, R.Vainien Such claimed that such a ban is intended to encourage shopping closer to home, but did not dare to predict if this measure will be effective.

“Apparently A – encourages shopping closer to home and B – before you drive, think about whether you won’t have to turn the keys until I’m ready. This is indirect flow regulation. How it works is hard to say, it’s a new tool; maybe it will work so that people don’t go, don’t drive. But it’s possible that if you’re still not scared, believe in conspiracy theories and go to the malls, turn around or try to park in the nearby places ”, R.Vainienė considered.

According to her, this is a new requirement and how merchants implement it will depend on each of them individually, whether it is to put parking in cities, help towers or propose other measures.

It’s true, Ieva Goštautaitė-Gedutė, marketing director of Baltic RED, the company that manages the mega shopping center 15 minutes He argued that regulating traffic in parking lots will be the biggest challenge. According to her, new restrictions are still being evaluated and analyzed.

“We are confident that we will be able to insure the specified square meter per person. m number in the mall because we monitor traffic in real time. Also, in order of priority, we will contact the tenants of the shopping centers managed by UAB Baltic RED and inform about the mandatory restrictions on visitor queues and the requirement for a greater number of cash registers in operation. We will do everything possible so that the recommendations are taken into account and the prohibitions are complied with, ”he commented.

Call to shop remotely

By the way, merchants urge residents not to rush into shopping malls unnecessarily and not to gather.

“We are constantly urging residents not to go unnecessarily, not to gather, to buy from a distance. Safe purchasing conditions are guaranteed for those who have arrived, so far there are no cases of contagion between customers. short contact and mega-security measures, starting with ventilation and ending with disinfection, work, ”said R. Vanienė.

“What we see that people continue walking is not limited to themselves as it should be given the current situation, so the limitations of the area are very strict, but specific, oriented to problems,” he summarized.

The rental of premises for celebrations is prohibited

The government has also decided to prohibit the rental of accommodation for private events, celebrations or other gatherings.

Agnė Vaitkuvienė, director of the Rural Tourism Association, pointed out that the ban on organizing celebrations in general and allowing two families to get together is illogical.

“The government allows two families to get together and they can no longer rent a house or a country house. Of course, we do not judge in any way because there is no logic in it. That those families meet at home or in a house rented will not change your health or your chances of getting infected, “he said.

According to A.Vaitkuvienė, even before this restriction, the owners intended to rent the farms to a single family.

Strict quarantine

15 minutes recalls that the outgoing government held an extraordinary meeting on Monday on tightening quarantines.

It was decided by consensus to extend the quarantine until the new year, new restrictions have been introduced in supermarkets, it is recommended not to take children to kindergartens if teleworking is possible for parents, and it is proposed to take a leave after the start. It is forbidden to gather more than two people in public if they are not members of the family. However, it is not forbidden to meet with two households at home.

READ MORE: Government imposes new quarantine restrictions: stricter and extended rules until New Year