The queues of visitors at the Latvian Rimi supermarket stores operating in the red Covid zone were already building early in the morning. Meanwhile, large crowds of people were also observed at the large stores of this grocery chain. As explained by the head of the public relations department of Rimi Latvia Juris Shleyers, the queues are formed for two reasons.

‘Little Rimi have queues because they are available to everyone, both vaccinated and unvaccinated. At the same time, queues line up in large stores operating in the green zone, because the security guards have to spend a lot of time checking the certificate and identification documents of each client,’ he said.

According to Schleiers, many buyers believe that these are restrictions imposed by Rimi management. So, we have to explain that these are government rules and not the decision of our stores. Such working conditions apply to all stores in Latvia.

Also, the representative of the grocery chain noted that in Latvia, people who have not been vaccinated, unfortunately, cannot get to the ATMs located in shopping centres that work only in the green’ mode. ‘Therefore, banks could respond and help their customers with information about where the nearest ATMs are located in their particular city outside of retail outlets,’ Schleier said.

According to him, Rimi Latvia currently has no information about whether any of the Rimi employees will have to be fired due to the lack of a COVID certificate. A few weeks ago, vaccination coverage at this facility was 90%.

From today until the end of the state of emergency on January 11 next year, in an ‘unsafe mode’, that is, without buyers presenting covid certificates, only essential goods stores will continue to work. This means that for many Latvians already barred from entering Churches they are barred from purchasing groceries without encountering massive challenges – to eat.

Customers without covid certificates have access to shops with an area of public space of no more than 1,500 square meters, if there is a separate entrance, selling food, medical supplies, optics, pet food, hygiene products, as well as places where the press is sold.

At these points of sale, with the exception of pharmacies, the maximum number of visitors should be set to provide at least 25 square meters of public space per visitor. Pharmacies that vaccinate against COVID-19 and issue test certificates must be provided with at least 15 square meters of public space per visitor.

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In an unsafe, ‘red’ mode, gas stations, ticket offices at bus stations and railway stations, where tickets are sold only for domestic routes, as well as open-air markets and places of street trading, will operate, while traders and buyers must be wearing masks. In stores operating in a ‘green’ mode, at least 15 square meters of public space must be provided for each customer.

Places of trade and provision of services can work from 6:00 to 21:00, with the exception of essential goods stores, which can work without time limits.

On weekends and holidays, shopping centres with an area of more than 1,500 square meters will not be able to work, where, in addition to convenience stores, there are at least five retail outlets. At the same time, on weekends and holidays in shopping centres, shops and places of service with a separate entrance are allowed to operate. Source