Health minister: Closing malls entirely is possibility
Health and Labor Minister, Tanel Kiik, said that the spread of the coronavirus has been faster than the experts predicted and the sense of danger has disappeared from society and that's why stricter restrictions need to be established. The minister said that closing the malls entirely is a possibility as well.
"There weren't many experts who predicted such increase in the spread of the virus. We of course knew that the relaxation of the restrictions will bring along a certain increase in the number of contacts. But on one said, there were a lot of relaxations, but on the other side, the sense of danger was low. We are currently in a situation where we have to be much more careful than we would wish to be," Kiik told ETV's current news show.
The minister noted that on weekends, food stores, pharmacies and pet shops will stay open because people need access to vital goods.
"Any kind of shopping, going to the mall with your family and friends, it really needs to stop. Now is not the time to think about what you want to buy, now is the time to be in your small family circle, work from distance and learn from a distance if possible," Kiik said.
Kiik said that the government discussed closing the malls entirely. "Of course this step is a possibility. Because the malls have made an effort and the weekends are a period when people go shopping for no special reason, then closing the malls can definitely help with reducing contacts," he said.
The facilities need to monitor mask-wearing themselves, but the local law enforcement institutions will help them. Kiik emphasized that people should wear masks in all public spaces.
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Editor: Roberta Vaino