Crowds of people headed to the Prague markets, and the municipality recommended their abolition
Hundreds of people gathered on the Prague embankment on Saturday morning. Praguers took advantage of the nice weather as veils bought the offered goods. Before the event, the organizers encouraged people to comply with prescribed measures, such as buying in pairs, using disinfection or banning clustering.
“Please take the markets as a shopping opportunity and not as a social event. This is because clustering is prohibited and is likely to be present throughout the emergency. We would like to keep the markets as support for small farmers and the opportunity to buy quality food, “added the organizers of the event on Friday.
Police spokesman Jan Daněk told iDNES.cz that the police officers did not address any announcements in connection with the markets on the embankment on Saturday morning.
“The duty of the organizer is to obtain through the organizing services, so that all extraordinary and hygienic measures are observed. According to the organizer, there are eight organizers. The city police then provided two two-member patrols above standard, “said Irena Seifertová, a spokeswoman for the Prague police,.
Hundreds of people also visit the U Elektry Flea Markets in Vysočany, Prague. There, too, the organizers urged everyone to comply with government regulations as a condition.
The government released another package of restrictions on the spread of coronavirus on Thursday, leaving farmers’ markets working. On Friday, the markets were discussed by the Prague Crisis Staff, which called on the organizers to comply with hygiene rules and government measures. He also warned him of possible sanctions. The company Trade center Praha (TCP), which manages the Prague embankments, together with the Prague City Hall, recommended to the organizers via e-mail that it would rather cancel the event due to the epidemiological situation.
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“If there could be an accumulation of people in one place, the organizer is responsible for compliance with the regulations. If he does not have to comply, he is exposed by the organizer to possible sanctions by the municipality. I would like to appeal to everyone to keep the three R’s, ie hands, veils and spacing, “said Prague Mayor Zdeněk Hřib on Friday.
“We warned the market organizers in Prague to strictly comply with the regulations of the Czech government, otherwise they are exposed to the threat of administrative proceedings and impose sanctions,” Vít Hofman, a spokesman for the Prague City Hall, told iDNES on Saturday.
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In the end, the organization of markets was banned. According to the chairman of the Association of Farmers’ Markets, Jiří Sedláček, a sales ban would be discrimination. According to him, it turns out that small tradesmen and farmers are economically dependent on these markets.
The government decided on Thursday to close retail stores. Food, drugstores, haberdashery or florists can work. The closure of the operation also applies to services such as hairdressing or cosmetics. For example, car washes or services will be available. Restaurants in shopping malls will be able to sell food to them as before.