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“If we look at Google data on Lithuanian population mobility statistics, it shows very clearly that the second quarantine in Lithuania was effective only for the first four or five weeks. Since then, population mobility has been increasing. Currently, the movement of the population to grocery stores has been growing very fast, which means that there is a risk that people have started to get to know each other more at home, in nature or have started visiting relatives more “Said A. Izgorodin. Eltai.
According to him, the growth of corporate debts with Sodra also indicates a lower business health.
“In both January and February, there was a serious enough growth in corporate debts with Sodra. This applies to both companies operating in the domestic market and companies operating in export markets. This means that companies they feel some financial pressure for this quarantine, “said the economist.
“My position is that the quarantine should be relaxed and companies should be opened because the company has been in quarantine for too long (…). The option would be to carry out mass tests of residents and employees to open a range of services, cafes, restaurants Yes, I agree that it is not possible to open the economy at full speed. This must be done gradually and the progress of morbidity from COVID-19 must be monitored, “added Izgorodin.
According to the economist, when it comes to testing, the example of Denmark can be trusted, which, according to him, tests 8 times more actively than Lithuania.
“Denmark has a very low rate of positive tests from all tests because they do a lot of tests. Consequently, if we do a lot of testing, we will achieve two things: first, we will protect consumers from potential diseases, and second, mass testing would allow us to move to a lighter quarantine scenario. The state must reimburse the company’s testing costs very heavily to be able to evaluate its employees not only from companies that have been directly affected by COVID-19, but also from the entire company, ”said A. Izgorodin.
Aleksandras Izgorodinas
Speaking about long-term negative changes in quarantine, A. Izgorodin said that they are available on the labor market.
“When the normal recovery starts in Europe, it will probably be very fast, as household deposits in both Lithuania and the euro area reach record levels. This means that when people start consuming, domestic demand will automatically grow with a lot of force and it will take a lot of workers to satisfy it. This will be a big problem for Lithuania, because now many emigrants from Ukraine, Belarus and other countries have left and it will be quite difficult for them to return, because the countries are also delayed with vaccination, “said the economist.
According to him, the lack of employees means higher wages, which can lead to some companies losing competitiveness.
“I would not say that this threatens exporters, because the industry constantly invests in increasing productivity, but sectors that operate in the domestic market may face a huge problem of labor shortages, which will not be solved quickly,” Izgorodin said .
The government decided on Friday to extend the quarantine until April 30.
Currently there are shops, hairdressers and beauty salons, museums and galleries with independent entrance from the outside. The activities of cafes, restaurants and sports clubs are still limited.
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