– That the shops at street level with their own entrance cannot open is unfair

Mathilde Plo-Sørensen does not understand that she is not allowed to stay open this week.

He runs Tobakks Sørensen at the Galleriet shopping center in central Bergen.

From evening until Monday, the new crown rules go into effect for Bergen. The main rule is that the mall and department stores must be closed. Exceptions are made for grocery stores, health foods, pharmacies, opticians, and others in the centers.

Although Tobakks Sørensen has its own entrance from Torgallmenningen, they are not allowed to remain open. They are part of a center, although they have their own entrance towards the street level.

– The rules are really very confusing for us. As long as it is closed to the Gallery, perhaps the store could be considered individual, says Mathilde Plo-Sørensen.

Individual stores, which are not part of a shopping center, can remain open.

Mathilde Plo-Sørensen describes last week’s turnover as catastrophic.

– Completely illogical

A few meters next to her, Anne Lohne runs Heradstveit Gullsmed A. Lohne.

– Since 1934, we are at street level towards Torgallmenningen. I have my own front door and can close onto the Gallery. So I don’t get clients from there, nor do I send clients there. It is completely illogical that we are not defined as a single store and allowed to remain open, says the goldsmith.

She says she has kept a strong focus on costs over the past year.

– We lost the sale by confirmation and on May 17. Fortunately, we have loyal customers, but there has been a focus on cost cuts from here to eternity, and it’s hard to close when I don’t understand why, he says.

Hågen Solheim is the director of the gallery center and thinks the plan is illogical.

– That the shops at street level with their own entrance cannot open is unfair, he says.

Avoid heavy traffic

Espen Rostrup Nakstad is deputy director of health. In an email, he writes that they want people to buy as locally as possible due to the uncontrolled spread of mutated viruses.

– If many of the stores in the centers are open because they have side entrances, there will still be a lot of traffic to the shopping centers. It is this traffic that the main purpose of the rules is to prevent until you have an overview of the infection situation in the region, Nakstad writes.

Councilman Roger Valhammer shares the concerns of those affected. Understand that the rules are unfair.

He notes that the rules are designed to reduce mobility and make people move less in areas where there is the greatest risk of spreading infection.

The city council leader believes that the government and the Storting must follow up with money for those affected, and that it is urgent.

– We support the business community to demand compensation when they close and we promise a quick distribution of funds here in Bergen if we get them directly. But first the package must go through the Storting, says Valhammer.

In the Lagunen shopping center, almost 60 stores and businesses are open during the week.

It’s about control

Trade and Industry Minister Iselin Nybø also understands the frustration of entrepreneurs who have to remain closed.

– The decisions we make now have to do with maintaining control of the infection situation. But the government has said that we will help the business community during the crisis, he says.

More recently, 14 days ago, the government proposed new and expanded financial measures for the business community totaling NOK 7 billion, according to the minister.

These can stay open

In addition to independent stores, these businesses may be open in shopping centers:

• Grocery stores, including kiosks, natural foods, and others that primarily sell groceries.
• Health-related stores such as pharmacies, bandages and opticians.
• Health care providers like physical therapists, chiropractors, and podiatrists.
• The monopoly of wine.
• Businesses as a hairdresser, dermatologist and tattoo artist.
• Gas stations.
• Commercial activities for agriculture and animal production.
• The warehouse and the wholesale part in the building materials stores that sell handicrafts and the like.
• Not sure what rules apply? BT keeps the overview for you here.