According to the Minister of Health Jan Blatný (for YES), the limitation of the number of people in shops according to their area should have been introduced already in September. He does not expect a reduction in the fourth and fifth levels of the risk score, determined by the anti-epidemic system (PES), he told members of the House Health Committee today, according to a published audio recording. Limiting the capacity of stores per buyer to 15 square meters began to apply today.
“Large retail chains need this regulation and I don’t think anyone can convince me that it would be any different,” the minister said. According to him, this reduced capacity in stores by only about ten or 15 percent, and queues could not form.
He reacted to today’s statement of the Minister of Industry and Trade Karel Havlíček (YES), who wants to propose to the government on Friday an increase in capacity and the cancellation of sales on Sunday. But Blatný will not support it. “My goal is to make no or minimal changes,” he added. According to him, adjustments are possible only from milder degrees of risk than the current fifth or fourth, to which the Czechia could move this or next week.
On Friday, Havlíček wants to propose that a simpler regime when shopping should apply, for example, to the disabled or mothers with prams. According to Blatný, such modifications are possible, but they cannot be general. “Two people at 15 meters would mean one at 7.5 meters, which is less than any country in Europe has,” he added.
In some places, stores managed capacity by carrying a mandatory basket or trolley to the store, leaving only a number corresponding to the maximum capacity. In some stores, shoppers or a camera counted. Long queues have not been formed today, but vendors are urging people to plan a visit outside of rush hour shopping.
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