New restriction: it will only be possible to park cars in stores in every fifth place

The additions to the government quarantine decree will further restrict the business.

Parking spaces near shops and markets will be up to 20% occupied. all parking spaces for vehicles, excluding parking spaces for personnel and the disabled.

“He should also control the flow and maybe there really aren’t more people just going for a walk, meeting each other, communicating in supermarkets unnecessarily,” Acting Prime Minister Saulius Skvernelis said after the meeting.

How will this be controlled?

“As for the control authorities, they are all there, they have their functions. Again, within those possibilities and scope, as you mentioned to the police, neither the quarantine nor the coronavirus stopped all other acts carried out by the police. Crime is happening, people need help, control must be exercised everywhere. They will, but let’s recognize that we cannot give up all the work and exercise this control alone. The same applies to other institutions, ”said the Prime Minister.

He emphasized personal responsibility: “First of all, it is everyone’s responsibility. If we follow the recommendations and instructions, as we have repeatedly said, we will not have to talk about introducing new measures. “

Another new ban, as Delfi has already announced, will require more than 10 square meters per buyer, but more space in shops, supermarkets, markets and other public outlets and adjacent areas. It is proposed to allocate 15 m2 per visitor. m of commercial space, when the total commercial space is 10 thousand. kv. m or less, or 30 square meters. m, when the total commercial space exceeds 10 thousand. kv. meter.

An additional recommendation for stores, supermarkets or marketplaces is to increase the number of cash registers in operation so that the number of buyers does not exceed 5 people, and for families or members of the same household it is recommended to visit the supermarkets one by one.

Currently, there is a recommendation not to use short-term sales promotions: announcements about promotions, discounts, rebates, tastings, as this could increase customer flows and meetings.

Quarantine extended until the end of the year – December 31, 24 hours. The stricter restrictions go into effect Wednesday through December 9.

Veryga: Store closure was considered

Acting Health Minister Aurelius Veryga explained that the limitation of the number of cars was introduced as an alternative to the complete closure of non-essential stores.

“Today another modified solution was born. There was no discussion on the parking lots on Friday, which limits the number of cars there. Today this measure was chosen as an alternative to total closure, the area per capita was increased and the number of parking spaces was very significantly limited. Today, the Government has decided that this measure is adequate, we believe that it should be sufficient ”, explained A. Veryga.

The Provisional Government considered on Friday to temporarily ban the operation of non-essential stores and markets. By virtue of this provision, only merchants engaged in the sale of food, veterinary, pharmaceutical, optical and orthopedic devices, food in markets or other public places, and online sales when the goods are delivered to the domicile of natural persons and legal or returned for sale may continue to operate. points.

“The principle is very simple: most of us are still lazy: if we need to walk a little somewhere, we often decide not to. People use little public transport and it is very logical that they do so avoiding risks, because there is the possibility to get infected there too. And when there is no possibility of parking the car comfortably, (…) people, apparently a large part of them, knowing that it will be a problem to leave the car, will think several times if it is necessary to drive to the supermarket, “he said A. Veryga.

In some supermarkets, according to the minister, such a practice already exists: some parking spaces are limited to manage customer flows.

Crown: don’t go unless you have to

Rūta Vainienė, director of the Lithuanian Trade Companies Association, assures that the new strict order will have to be implemented by individual stores.

“Apparently this is a reaction to the old public outrage that there are full parking lots near supermarkets. Dealerships will organize this in different ways: by eliminating employee and disabled spots, they will reduce the number of places where parking is allowed anywhere. Elsewhere. Dividing by 5 is not difficult. The insurance logic, apparently, is such that it would encourage people to shop near the home and not drive a car with family or other relatives to supermarkets at the same time other buyers go there ”, evaluates R. Vainienė.

Controllers may appear on supermarket sites or, more likely, cones, towers or other physical restraints will be built on construction sites, thinks R. Vainienė.

“We don’t know how the implementation will work and what the situation will be like: whether people will turn the wheels until they find a place or will they think about a more comfortable driving time,” we recalled when it was difficult. parking lot, or they will try to park somewhere nearby, in the courtyard of the house “, considered R. Vainienė.

According to her, traders only have two days to prepare.

Large shopping centers exceed 10,000 square meters, where the flow of buyers will have to be three times less. A large store usually occupies around 5,000. kv. m, there will have to be one and a half times fewer buyers; a buyer must have 15 km2. meters instead of the current 10.

“It is a strict restriction, but apparently we really need to stop the horses. Strict, but precise restriction and serves the purpose of restricting traffic, not to prohibit people from buying at all, but to reduce their concentration. Probably more painful for them. food merchants, “said a merchant representative.

He assured that the situation is monitored by supermarkets with flow management systems installed, and staff restrict entry when limits are reached, with shoppers lining up at the entrance.

“When we hear all the proposals for epidemic management, the outlets are mentioned very often, but based on the number of outbreaks and the spread of cases, no cases of infection have been reported among customers, except for one today. This means that the short contact and extremely high security measures applied pay off. (…) We called a thousand and one more time, do not go if it is not necessary ”, said R. Vainienė.

Will not rent the premises

“A government decree prohibits the rental, sublease or loan of premises (whether owned by natural or legal persons or legally owned) for the provision of accommodation services for the organization of private events, celebrations or other meetings.”

Companies and other private sector entities are obliged to organize work in the same way as state or municipal institutions or managed companies, – it is necessary to organize work remotely, except when physical presence is necessary to perform the functions established in the workplace.

The council of health experts convened by President Gitan Nausėda also proposed to tighten quarantine measures on Sunday: it is proposed to consider restricting population movement, multi-family communication, non-food trade on weekends, stop work or limit time to 17 hours.