《TAIPEI TIMES》 Tighter rules for stores to prevent overcrowding

By Angelica Oung / Staff reporter

The Ministry of Economic Affairs （MOEA） yesterday said it is tightening restrictions on stores and businesses in coordination with efforts by the Central Epidemic and Command Center （CECC） to further curb the COVID-19 outbreak as a nationwide level 3 alert is extended to June 28.

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Convenience stores, supermarkets, hypermarkets and department stores are to limit visitors to “one customer per ping” （3.3m2） to prevent overcrowding, it said.

Once the capacity is reached, customers have to wait outside, with a store representative tasked with ensuring that the “one-in-one-out” rule is followed to prevent too many shoppers inside the venue, it said.

Businesses are required to limit their opening hours and announce them accordingly, it said.

They will also have to continue the practice of tracking customers visiting their stores. This includes making sure that customers are wearing masks and have registered through an app or a written form, as well as checking their temperatures and providing them with alcohol spray to disinfect their hands, it said.

Furthermore, they must conduct periodic disinfections of public areas, including bathrooms, escalators, elevators and other areas that customers often come into contact with, it said

As for shopping time at wet markets and night markets, Deputy Minister of Economic Affairs Lin Chuan-neng （林全能） on Sunday said that officials would be stationed at the entrances and exits of the markets, whose operating hours would be reviewed and confirmed by the ministry.

Even tighter controls will be in place for smaller markets that can only accommodate a certain number of people, including having shoppers leave their contact information and maintain social distancing, he said.

When necessary, officials may temporarily stop visitors from entering the markets, Lin said, adding that there would be more frequent police patrols to ban street vendors near the markets.

Additional reporting by CNA

新聞來源：TAIPEI TIMES