Regarding the Ensuring of Social Distancing at Sales Points

1. In accordance with Sub-paragraphs 4.5.²3, 4.22, and 4.22.⁴ of Cabinet Order No. 103 of 12 March 2020, Regarding the Declaration of Emergency Situation:

[30 March 2020]

1.1. At sales points, traders must place a clearly readable indication at visible places (at least at the checkout counter) instructing the visitors to be socially responsible and keep a distance of 2 meters from the visitor queueing in front within the checkout area.

1.2. Traders the sales space of which exceeds 100 m² must ensure the 2-meter distance from the person queueing in front in the checkout area with delimiting signs.

1.3. In trade centres, market places and places for organising street sale, the owner or the lawful possessor of the trade centre, manager of the market place or the organiser of street sale must place the clearly readable indication referred to in Sub-paragraph 1.1 at visible places (at least by the entrance in the territory where the trade is organised) in the territory where the trade is organised.

[30 March 2020]

1.4. In order to promote compliance with the recommendations of the Ministry of Health for the containment of the spread of COVID-19 virus, trade centres must regularly play (once every 15 minutes) an announcement in the Latvian language asking to avoid from needlessly staying at the trading premises and to follow the placed indications instructing to keep a distance. Merchant can additionally choose other foreign languages.

1.4.¹ Traders must organise the control of the flow of visitors so as to ensure that in the trading place there would not be more than 1 visitor per 4 m² of the trading hall at the same. Concurrently social distancing measures must be ensured by the entrance in the trading places (applies to both public indoor and outdoor spaces), preventing the crowding of people and ensuring 2 meter distance between the visitors.

[30 March 2020]

1.5. The traders are asked to, as far as possible, implement also other measures for limiting the flow of people at trading places which would promote compliance with the recommendations of the Ministry of Health for the containment of the spread of COVID-19 virus, and also to follow the recommendations published on the website of the Ministry of Economics.

1.6. Within the framework of this Order, a trade centre is a trade building arranged for continuous and systematic trade with the total area allocated for trading of at least 10 000 m² or where at least 10 participants in trade or service providers are operating at separate trading places.

[26 March 2020]

1.7. The State and municipal police shall ensure the monitoring of the requirements referred to in Sub-paragraphs 1.1, 1.2, 1.3, 1.4 and 1.4.¹ in trading places and places for organising trade.

[26 March 2020; 30 March 2020]

2. The Order shall enter into force on the day following its publication in the official gazette Latvijas Vēstnesis.

3. This Order shall be published in the official gazette Latvijas Vēstnesis.

Acting for the Minister for Economics,
Minister for the Interior S. Ģirģens

Translation © 2020 Valsts valodas centrs (State Language Centre)