For business The government’s ambitions are unexpected: why it will be possible to go to a store, but not to an outdoor cafe or sports club.

Opinions among the country’s business representatives on the planned restrictions introduced by the government on Wednesday differ by day and night, and there is a lack of clarity. It is feared that if the restrictions go into effect next week, there could be a lot of confusion, inconvenience and unforeseen costs.

Delfi recalls that the government has promised to restrict contact services to those who do not have an Opportunity Passport that proves their immunity or a negative COVID-19 test.

The owner of bars and clubs: we are in complete confusion

Matas Puodžiūnas, co-owner of the capital’s bars, such as “Bardakas”, “Sanatorija” and the nightclub “Materialistė”, would be glad if a unified order appeared, because the current situation is not clear to him.

“We are, you know, completely confused. We are just trying to grasp the constantly changing information every day, and we have reached the level of absurdity,” shared M. Puodžiūnas his first reaction.

He is outraged that the State Food and Veterinary Service (SFVS) has taken a very diligent approach to verifying that restaurants or bars are complying with existing restrictions and rules.

“We have already received sanctions for people who stand at tables. We turn to the biggest curiosities, including what to treat a table: if there is a flowerpot, elements of help, it is not a table. Today we had four meetings to try to explain to the staff how we could accept people, at what distances. If an event takes place indoors, it is in one way, if not indoors, it is different. We managed to move the tables and there were hardly any seats left inside, because there are still no restrictions for standing people ”, the businessman was surprised.

The passport of opportunity, he said, could create a “normal order” that would bring clarity to both commercial and inspection authorities, but the businessman is not sure if that will be the case.

“We were fined by the SFVS, but we looked on with regret and said we don’t know what to advise them on how to continue to avoid those fines.” It would be easier for us, of course, if people were vaccinated, had a GP and we could work normally. It’s equally a big problem with unvaccinated workers waiting in line to get vaccinated or tested, because now everyone must get tested. We tried to send it out for testing, but there are huge queues, ”taught M. Puodžiūnas.

It offers a unified system for both employees and clients, showing that the Opportunity Passport allows them to work or visit.

“Now there are 7 or 8 criteria that make it difficult to track employees. I’m not talking about visitors anymore. It would be much easier for us if we had a single passport and all those who wanted to enter or work had a unified system, “said the businessman.

Tests paid for at the time, he said, would cost the bar about 2,000 euros a month, but that already costs him now because there are no places for state tests.

“It just came to our knowledge then. Even with restrictions that did not allow tables to be built every 2 meters, only the exterior and interior did not allow, they ordered to move the tables, and they gave more fines. Here there would be a real financial collapse so that Another bar will spend another 2,000 euros just on tests. But we are already paying that money. Because the queues are huge for general state tests. We have already paid for it out of pocket, “said the representative of the bar.

He compared that to register for the test in Vilnius on Wednesday, the closest time is Sunday.

Representative of restaurants and hotels Šiškauskienė: I would like to be misunderstood

Evalda Šiškauskienė, president of the Lithuanian Hotel and Restaurant Association, says she still cannot clearly understand whether or not restaurants will be able to serve customers who do not have a passport.

“We read three times and we all understand differently. I can’t believe you can do that starting Monday and you wouldn’t be able to visit the outdoor cafes anymore, that would be awesome. We have no idea why you can go to shops, but you cannot sit at safe distances in restaurants, and even more so on outdoor terraces, if I understand correctly. I would very much have liked to have misunderstood this “, does not believe E. Šiškauskienė.

He hinted that as soon as he saw the government documents, he rushed to write letters to the government.

On Wednesday, Health Minister Arūnas Dulkys hinted that even in hotels, GPs will no longer be able to visit or organize celebrations.

“I didn’t find any information about hotels. Here, after all, you should spend some time preparing. I have no idea why you can go to supermarkets, but you can’t sit at a safe distance in a restaurant or on terraces where it is much safer than any cosmetic service. Frankly, I still do not understand all this, “surprised E. Šiškauskienė.

However, he stressed support for the broader goal of vaccinating the population and for workers and employers to pay for mandatory testing out of pocket.

“For mass vaccination, we really support it because, unlike any other sector, we don’t see opportunities to operate. Our industry supports mass vaccination and self-testing. We no longer want taxpayers to pay for those who don’t want to get vaccinated. PCR tests are expensive, I don’t know why I, as a taxpayer, should pay for them. But now there are many things that are not clear to business and he cannot believe that visiting restaurants without a passport can be forbidden, ”said E. Šiškauskienė.

Head of Sports Clubs Tricky: That shouldn’t be the case

Vidmantas Šiugždinis, CEO of Lemon Gym and Impuls Sports Clubs, negatively views the government’s proposals.

These decisions are very changeable: on the one hand, it seems that it is about planning the future, promoting vaccination, actions from September 13, and then the Minister of Health stands up and says that unnecessary activities need or could be greatly limited before. . It is very unfortunate that during this pandemic, we continue to divide what SAM considers non-essential activities that also aim to improve people’s health, such as sports clubs. Another thing is that there were no infections in them either ”, V. Šiugždinis did not hide his resentment.

He thinks it would make more sense to encourage people to get vaccinated, to be confident in what the sports club is actively doing.

“Our sports clubs even provide free memberships to all vaccinated people in Lithuania, we also highly encourage employees and we have already exceeded 80 percent. level of immunization in their establishments. It is very regrettable that, in this regard, it appears that such a lengthy explanatory work on the needs of companies and the difficulties they have experienced is being concluded, and that there have been no infections in them. All the more so since sports clubs are non-contact activities ”, assessed V. Šiugždinis.

He estimated that the clients of sports clubs would basically reflect the Lithuanian average, evaluating how many of them might have a Passport of Opportunity.

“If we have an average of about 50 percent in Lithuania. Vaccinated, and about 60 percent. Immunized together, with the sick, which I think will be reflected to this day in the sports clubs. In this case, sports clubs would lose a potential 40 percent.Customer traffic.Those people who have not been vaccinated at this time would not have the opportunity to improve their health, although with limitations, although with distances, but they will no longer be able to do so. my opinion, this is a bad decision. With all due respect, supporting the need for vaccination, but this way, what if these businesses? I think the state itself has a lot of state resources and institutions, whose services should be regulated more than private companies ”, V. Šiugždinis tells Delfi.

The cinema welcomes

Raimundas Bilinskas, Marketing Director of Multikino Cinema in Vilnius, only gave a positive response to the government’s decisions, only that they could have been earlier.

“It just came to our notice then. We welcome this decision and have already suggested it as soon as the draft GP has been considered. It would have been premature in June as residents of large cities did not yet have a large quantity of Opportunity Passports and vaccination began with more success in June-July. But now people have received and have opportunity passports, “says R. Bilinskas.

Losing non-GP visitors to cinemas would probably not be painful, but they prefer the opportunity to feel free at the cinema: see a movie without a mask, have a drink or a snack.

“We think that those conscientious people who use the services of cinema, entertainment, cafes, live an active life and are really already vaccinated,” says R. Bilinskas.

Representatives of the Lithuanian Business Enterprise Association previously expressed concern about the proposed restrictions; They are concerned about the possibility of conducting GP inspections in small stores, where flows may be higher.