Taiwan should follow the UK’s lead and issue guidelines for safety measures at supermarkets and hypermarkets, including limits to the number of shoppers, the Consumers’ Foundation said on Friday.
The rules should be implemented to prevent supermarkets and hypermarkets from becoming COVID-19 hot spots, foundation secretary-general Hsu Tse-yu (徐則鈺) said.
The UK has been dealing with the COVID-19 pandemic for more than a year, and the British National Health Service has issued a “Guidance for food businesses on coronavirus (COVID-19)” that includes safety rules and protocols on traffic flow at stores and food businesses, said Chang Wan-ping (張琬萍), the foundation official responsible for its Consumer Reports of Taiwan.
Photo: CNA
Markets should reserve certain hours for older people and people with special needs, helping them social distance while shopping, Chang said, adding that similar measures are in place in the UK.
“To control people flow, the British government recommends safe social distancing — 1 to 2 meters — and uses this as a basis for calculating maximum capacity at the businesses,” she said. “The UK also recommends that market operators, food businesses and other local firms cooperate with the government, and implement staggered shopping and working hours to reduce crowding on means of public transportation during peak hours. This reduces the risk of COVID-19 infection.”
London has implemented measures to protect the rights of people with special needs, she said, adding that British store operators were required to extend entryways and change in-store arrangements to help them social distance.
Parents were required to make sure that their children stick to social distancing rules, she added.
Taiwan should adopt similar measures adjusted for local conditions, Chang said.
A tracking system integrated with Central Epidemic Command Center data and COVID-19 tracking apps should be implemented to limit the number of shoppers at any time inside a store, she said.
Taiwanese businesses should take measures similar to those taken by their peers in the US and UK, where certain hours were reserved for pregnant women and older people, as it might not be easy for them to move around in a crowded store while safely social distancing, the foundation said.
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