display
Kiel (dpa / lno) - Before the conference of economics ministers on Friday, Schleswig-Holstein's head of department Bernd Buchholz demands a quick opening perspective for the retail sector.
"It is becoming more and more difficult to understand and convey that, in addition to the hairdressers, the garden centers can also open, but the rest of the retail trade should remain closed," said the FDP politician on Thursday in Kiel.
If, in view of the corona values of 50 to 60 new infections per 100,000 inhabitants, which are still too high, the retail trade cannot be opened quickly within seven days, the Click & Meet system must be quickly introduced nationwide as the minimum solution for the industry.
An appointment is made for a purchase in an otherwise closed store.
Then members of a household are allowed to enter a shop for advice and shopping.
“And in view of the mask requirement, hygiene concepts including contact recording and space restrictions, the risk of infection is as manageable as possible,” explained Buchholz.
Some countries also want to introduce this in early March.
This goes beyond Click & Collect, which is already practiced in the north, where you can pick up specific goods previously ordered by phone or online.
Schleswig-Holstein will open flower shops and garden centers on March 1st, but not entire hardware stores.
Should the number of infections rise again nationwide, at least Click & Meet appointment shopping would have to be made possible for retailers, affirmed Buchholz.
He wants to achieve this at least as quickly as possible in the north.
display
Federal Minister of Economics Peter Altmaier (CDU) wants to discuss an opening strategy with his country colleagues on Friday.
According to the current status, further stores could be allowed to open from March 8th - but only in regions with a corona incidence of no more than 35. The federal states will discuss further steps in the pandemic with Chancellor Angela Merkel (CDU) on Wednesday next week.
The step-by-step plan of the Robert Koch Institute also confirms that the risk of infection in retail is low, said Buchholz.
"Even the Federal Chancellery can no longer ignore this - in this respect the closure of the retail trade can no longer be justified."
Buchholz calls for a significant expansion of compensation for closed businesses: “If the lockdown continues after March 8, an increase in financial compensation for the retail trade is imperative - more on the basis of loss compensation for the past few months than the previous one Fixed cost compensation. "
Because this leads to an ever-increasing accumulation of losses at retailers, whose equity base is currently melting like butter in the sun.
display
Buchholz urged citizens to continue to strictly follow the distance and hygiene rules despite understandable pandemic fatigue.
"We are receiving more and more reports from the food retail sector that the discipline is waning in parts of the clientele - this harbors the great danger that a few will throw back the laboriously achieved success of the measures and thus endanger their livelihoods," said the minister.
From the point of view of the Kiel Chamber of Commerce and Industry trade expert Julia Körner, the companies are contributing with hygiene measures to "that other product ranges can be sold again as quickly as possible and other services can be offered".
The economy also expressly welcomes the move to enable Meet & Collect as a low-contact interim solution.
"That would be a ray of hope - not only for the companies, but also for their customers," said Körner.
© dpa-infocom, dpa: 210225-99-591565 / 2