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In recent weeks, the number of confirmed coronavirus cases has risen sharply and Gothenburg is no exception. On Thursday, Smittskydd Västra Götaland issued a strong warning on the day of the Black Friday low price campaign: don’t go there.
– I would really ask all people to refrain from this now, said Thomas Wahlberg, infection control doctor at Västra Götaland.
Prime Minister Stefan Löfven also commented on the matter at a press conference on Thursday:
– Unfortunately some congestion has also been reported during the week. Therefore, I would like to emphasize that this year there should be no congestion in shopping centers or stores. You just have to stop that big shopping spree.
READ MORE: Despite the Black Friday action: “very crowded”
READ MORE: Prices go up to make the sale look bigger.
But the message does not seem to be obeyed. On Friday afternoon and evening, the Nordstan shopping center was full, prompting several scared readers to contact GP.
Turned at the door
Anders Andarve had intended to buy food at Lidl, but it changed quickly.
– I entered the door immediately, he says.
He continues:
– I quickly had to stop that thought. This distance between people does not seem to apply there. There are whole, clean sea storms, he says.
During the afternoon, the police were present at the scene, but at 6 pm they did not intervene.
– We are there for the purpose of creating security, says Anna Göransson, spokeswoman for the police in the West Region.
Nordstan has taken action
Nordstan CEO Ulrika Carlsson admits there have been more visitors on Friday afternoon than usual during the fall.
– It’s a few hours here in the afternoon, but I don’t know exactly how many people there have been, he says.
At the same time, he notes that the mall has taken a number of different measures.
– What has been done is that we do not have any Black Friday ad from the mall side. The stores have distributed offers throughout the week and have been working since Monday just to avoid generating publicity, says Ulrika Carlsson.
– Many stores do not have hosts to maintain order and structure, but at the same time remind people to help by keeping their distance.
Ulrika Carlsson, CEO of Nordstan, believes that the mall has implemented several measures. Photo: Anders Hofgren
All of this has been interspersed with constant reminders through the speaker system that visitors should keep their distance, as well as written information. Additionally, Nordstan has chosen not to use its display surfaces for any Christmas markets this year to create additional space, says Ulrika Carlsson.
Do you feel that your actions have worked?
– It is important that all together, including the visitor, we are helped to follow the advice that is available and keep the distance between them. We have significantly fewer people in today than we do on regular Black Friday days. But today we had a peak for a while in the afternoon, as there have been more people than we have had for a long time in the mall.
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