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Is it a meter or two meters away? Neither the businesses nor the municipality seem to fully agree with themselves.
On November 6, City Councilor Raymond Johansen (Labor Party) in Oslo came out and said that the stores had to make sure there were no more customers inside who could stay two meters away from each other:
– We introduce requirements that stores, shopping centers and the like must guarantee that there are no more present in the premises than the one that can be kept two meters away. The number of guests allowed in the room is limited depending on the size of the room. It should, if necessary, be a guard who makes sure the requirement is met, Johansen said.
He reiterated this message at the press conference on November 26, where he also announced that the measure is extended until December 14.
Incorrect
Since the beginning of November, the same requirement was applied to a large number of municipalities, including Lillestrøm, Drammen, Nordre Follo, Ås, Bergen, Askøy and Øygarden. In the wake of the complaint, BT wrote that several stores posted signs with a warning. The stores gave a strict message: we have been asked to make sure that there is a distance of two meters between all the customers in the store.
This is not true.
The requirement that customers must be able to maintain a distance of two meters in stores and shopping centers is to set a limit on the number of customers:
– To calculate the maximum number, it must be assumed that everyone will be able to maintain a distance of two meters. This will allow customers to stay at least one meter away in a normal shopping situation when moving around the premises, with the exception of short passes, says the communications advisor in the Oslo City Council leader’s office, Øyvind Arum to Nettavisen.
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Councilor Roger Valhammer (Labor Party) is also clear that it is not mandatory to keep two meters of distance in the store.
– One must be at least one meter. So there is nothing in the way of increasing the distance and thereby safety, he tells BT.
The last time the government asked people to stay at least six feet away was on April 30.
In Norway today, according to the Norwegian Health Directorate, there is only one example where you need to keep two meters away from someone, and that is people in the risk group, if you have been in a situation where you are not there has been a meter of distance.
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Confused
In addition to this, you should stay at least one meter away from anyone who is not in the same household as you, regardless of whether you live in Hammerfest or Lindesnes, or are indoors or outdoors.
In the vast majority of municipalities with outbreaks of infection, there is also a requirement to use a bandage during congestion, that is, in situations where it is not possible to maintain a distance of one meter indoors.
The online newspaper has visited several stores in the Oslo area. Both Coop Prix and Rema and NorgesGruppen (from Kiwi and Joker) had signs urging them to keep a distance of two meters.
Some of the cases were more confusing. The two Kiwi stores in Ensjø and Helsfyr are about 750 meters away.
In Ensjø (left) they were told to keep their distance. In Helsfyr (right) it was specified that he must maintain a distance of two meters:
– We have made posters for all the stores where we communicate a subway, and the example you have found is a locally produced poster that has now been removed, Kiwi communications manager Kristine Aakvaag Arvin tells Nettavisen.
– Illustrates the challenge well here: there are some misunderstandings around the rules. Now we have reminded our stores to use the signs that we and the authorities have made, because we do not want to contribute to misunderstandings about the rules.
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Across the street from Kiwi Ensjø you will find a Rema store. Here’s a large sign outside thanking everyone who stands six feet away in the store. Another sign hangs on the door, informing that one meter is enough; If this cannot be met, you should wear a face mask.
Rema has not yet responded to Nettavisen’s inquiries.
He was “reprimanded” by the guards
Kiwi’s communications manager says the rules in some places are a bit confusing, even for security guards hired by the municipality:
– In the municipality of Asker, some businesses were visited by inspectors from a security company hired by the municipality, who asked us to change the communication of the posters to customers at two meters. This despite the fact that it was a meter on the municipality’s website, says Arvin.
Asker Township has been informed about the Kiwi story, but has not yet responded to Nettavisen’s inquiry.
Coop’s communications manager, Harald Kristiansen, tells Nettavisen that they are doing their part to ensure that clients can maintain distance and that they meet the requirement of the maximum number of clients calculated on the basis that they must be able to stay within two meters of distance, in the municipalities in question. However, it is not always so easy to create routines:
– When municipalities with high infection pressure propose their own municipal measures, these measures do not always have the same wording. This applies to both the 2 meter distance rule and the requirement for a bandage. This means it is difficult to create routines and guidelines for our stores, and it is also difficult for our customers to know what rules apply, says Kristiansen.
– In some cases, stores that are located very close to each other, and that have many of the same customers, have different ways of practicing the same measurement, Kristiansen tells Nettavisen.
He says Coop has been in regular contact with Virke, the leading trade industry organization.
They also ask the authorities for clearer regulations:
– We have had many consultations in this regard, especially against what was formulated in the different press conferences when the regulation was introduced. We are working closely with health authorities to implement a nationwide system for infection control strategy that ensures areas with the same infection pressure have the same infection control measures, says Elin Spjelkavik, Chief Legal Officer by Virke to Nettavisen.
He hopes this will make it easier for customers and stores to ensure that they follow current routines and ensure competition on a level playing field.
Arvin assures customers that they don’t have to worry about getting infected on a shopping trip:
– Since the pandemic began, we have had around 42 million visitors. However, there has not been a single known case of any of our customers being infected in a store. We have implemented a series of preventive measures, such as plexiglass in the boxes, hand of alcohol at the entrance and clear communication on the floor, t-shirts and at the entrance. We have reinforced our already stringent cleaning requirements with an extraordinary cleaning plan.
Coops Kristiansen says the same about them:
– If customers are still good at keeping their distance, spread your hands before and after the shopping trip, plan so they don’t have to go to the store as often and don’t bring more relatives than necessary on the shopping trip, then it is still safe to shop at Coop Stores.
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