With the rapid decline in the incidence of Covid-19 in Latvia, the government is urged to follow the OVG plan and open shopping centres immediately
The incidence of Covid-19 in Latvia has significantly decreased in the last two weeks, reaching the level at which the plan prepared by the Operational Management Group is ready to start the lifting of restrictions. Along with the resumption of activities of various cultural institutions and wider opportunities in sports, the Cabinet of Ministers has already conceptually decided on the resumption of the operation of shopping centres at the moment when the cumulative number of patients does not exceed 320. On Thursday, this figure reached its lowest level in the last six months - 307.8 cases per 100 thousand inhabitants (14-day cumulative number of cases), and on Saturday the figure dropped to 268.4 - so the Alliance of Real Estate Developers calls on the government to decide immediately on the opening of all shopping centres. Now, due to the government's delays, more than 850 thousand euros of additional losses have been caused to shopping centres over the weekend.
.jpg)
At the end of March, after reviewing the four-step plan prepared by the Operational Management Group (OVG) to gradually reduce the restrictive measures of Covid-19, the government conceptually agreed on the action to be taken when the incidence of Covid-19 in the country decreases. The OVG plan states that if the 14-day cumulative number of Covid-19 cases per 100,000 inhabitants does not exceed 320, museums, libraries and cultural sites could be reopened, sports training facilities would be expanded, and all stores would be allowed to operate also in shopping centres. On Thursday, at a government meeting, the epidemiologist of the Centre for Disease Prevention and Control Jurijs Perevoščikovs informed that the cumulative incidence rate has fallen to 307.8 cases, reaching the lowest level in the last six months, but after that it also fell to 268.4 cases per 100 thousand people on Saturday.
As on Thursday the epidemiological situation reached the level at which the government had previously decided to lift the restrictions, the ban on the stores has been completely unjustified since Friday and must be lifted immediately. This delay is already causing additional losses - by not allowing all stores in shopping centres with an area of more than 7,000 m2 to operate, more than 850 thousand euros of rental income was lost over the weekend.
"The epidemiological situation in Latvia has rapidly improved, so we do not see any obstacles to lifting the existing restrictions and allowing shopping centres to resume work. So far, despite various scientific arguments and researchers' measurements, the government has banned the operation of shops in shopping centres with an area of more than 7,000 m2. However, it is in the stores where there is an epidemiologically safe environment in which people have the opportunity to make all postponed purchases without risking their health and the health of others. In order to prevent this illogical and unfair situation in the industry, shopping centres have already turned to the Competition Council and the Constitutional Court, but we hope that the government will finally make decisions based on facts and data to restore equality among traders and prevent even greater losses for landlords,” says Mārtiņš Vanags, Chairman of the Board of the Alliance of Real Estate Developers.
It has been previously reported that in order to draw attention to the impact of professionally designed and built ventilation systems on carbon dioxide (CO2) levels in shopping centres, five shopping centres - Alfa, Domina Shopping, Galleria Rīga, Galerija Centrs and Origo - in cooperation with Riga Stradiņš University (RSU) researchers measured CO2 at various locations in these shopping centres, including grocery stores and other stores where sales are permitted and where customers gather. Measurements carried out by researchers from the RSU Laboratory of Hygiene and Occupational Diseases from 15 to 20 April this year confirm that the level of carbon dioxide (CO2) in shopping centres is between 395 and 690 ppm[1] - the lower the CO2 level, the higher the air quality. This data confirms that shopping centres provide an epidemiologically safe environment, so their representatives are trying to encourage fact-based decision-making and the opening of all sales outlets. Meanwhile, researchers from the UK (Environmental and Modelling group) admit that measurements of CO2 levels can be used as indicators for poor air ventilation. UK researchers (Environmental and Modelling group) have concluded that ventilation is one of the most important factors influencing the spread of the Covid-19 virus among people who are in the same room and within a distance of 2 metres.[2] Researchers at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, analysing the spread of the Covid-19 virus indoors, also point out that it is safer to be in rooms with larger air volumes and higher ventilation speeds.[3] These scientific arguments allow us to conclude that shopping centres are an epidemiologically safe environment, therefore the industry has repeatedly expressed confusion about the existing restrictions that prohibit the employment of a large number of shopping centre tenants throughout Latvia.
It was also reported that in order to promote the availability of vaccination for the population, on Friday the representatives of the National Health Service, ‘Veselības centrs 4’, ‘Veselības centru apvienība’ and the largest Latvian shopping centres agreed to start work on a vaccination point deployment plan. Work has started immediately to open vaccination points in shopping centres in both Riga and regional cities in the coming weeks, making vaccination even more accessible to every inhabitant of Latvia.
About the NĪAA
The Alliance of Real Estate Developers (NĪAA) brings together the most significant players in the industry in order to achieve the sustainable development of the real estate industry, represent it in a collective manner on a state and local government level, as well as emphasise the role of real estate developers and investors within the economy of Latvia.
For further information:
Mārtiņš Vanags - Alliance of Real Estate Developers (NĪAA)
martins.vanags@niaa.lv
At the end of March, after reviewing the four-step plan prepared by the Operational Management Group (OVG) to gradually reduce the restrictive measures of Covid-19, the government conceptually agreed on the action to be taken when the incidence of Covid-19 in the country decreases. The OVG plan states that if the 14-day cumulative number of Covid-19 cases per 100,000 inhabitants does not exceed 320, museums, libraries and cultural sites could be reopened, sports training facilities would be expanded, and all stores would be allowed to operate also in shopping centres. On Thursday, at a government meeting, the epidemiologist of the Centre for Disease Prevention and Control Jurijs Perevoščikovs informed that the cumulative incidence rate has fallen to 307.8 cases, reaching the lowest level in the last six months, but after that it also fell to 268.4 cases per 100 thousand people on Saturday.
As on Thursday the epidemiological situation reached the level at which the government had previously decided to lift the restrictions, the ban on the stores has been completely unjustified since Friday and must be lifted immediately. This delay is already causing additional losses - by not allowing all stores in shopping centres with an area of more than 7,000 m2 to operate, more than 850 thousand euros of rental income was lost over the weekend.
"The epidemiological situation in Latvia has rapidly improved, so we do not see any obstacles to lifting the existing restrictions and allowing shopping centres to resume work. So far, despite various scientific arguments and researchers' measurements, the government has banned the operation of shops in shopping centres with an area of more than 7,000 m2. However, it is in the stores where there is an epidemiologically safe environment in which people have the opportunity to make all postponed purchases without risking their health and the health of others. In order to prevent this illogical and unfair situation in the industry, shopping centres have already turned to the Competition Council and the Constitutional Court, but we hope that the government will finally make decisions based on facts and data to restore equality among traders and prevent even greater losses for landlords,” says Mārtiņš Vanags, Chairman of the Board of the Alliance of Real Estate Developers.
It has been previously reported that in order to draw attention to the impact of professionally designed and built ventilation systems on carbon dioxide (CO2) levels in shopping centres, five shopping centres - Alfa, Domina Shopping, Galleria Rīga, Galerija Centrs and Origo - in cooperation with Riga Stradiņš University (RSU) researchers measured CO2 at various locations in these shopping centres, including grocery stores and other stores where sales are permitted and where customers gather. Measurements carried out by researchers from the RSU Laboratory of Hygiene and Occupational Diseases from 15 to 20 April this year confirm that the level of carbon dioxide (CO2) in shopping centres is between 395 and 690 ppm[1] - the lower the CO2 level, the higher the air quality. This data confirms that shopping centres provide an epidemiologically safe environment, so their representatives are trying to encourage fact-based decision-making and the opening of all sales outlets. Meanwhile, researchers from the UK (Environmental and Modelling group) admit that measurements of CO2 levels can be used as indicators for poor air ventilation. UK researchers (Environmental and Modelling group) have concluded that ventilation is one of the most important factors influencing the spread of the Covid-19 virus among people who are in the same room and within a distance of 2 metres.[2] Researchers at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, analysing the spread of the Covid-19 virus indoors, also point out that it is safer to be in rooms with larger air volumes and higher ventilation speeds.[3] These scientific arguments allow us to conclude that shopping centres are an epidemiologically safe environment, therefore the industry has repeatedly expressed confusion about the existing restrictions that prohibit the employment of a large number of shopping centre tenants throughout Latvia.
It was also reported that in order to promote the availability of vaccination for the population, on Friday the representatives of the National Health Service, ‘Veselības centrs 4’, ‘Veselības centru apvienība’ and the largest Latvian shopping centres agreed to start work on a vaccination point deployment plan. Work has started immediately to open vaccination points in shopping centres in both Riga and regional cities in the coming weeks, making vaccination even more accessible to every inhabitant of Latvia.
About the NĪAA
The Alliance of Real Estate Developers (NĪAA) brings together the most significant players in the industry in order to achieve the sustainable development of the real estate industry, represent it in a collective manner on a state and local government level, as well as emphasise the role of real estate developers and investors within the economy of Latvia.
For further information:
Mārtiņš Vanags - Alliance of Real Estate Developers (NĪAA)
martins.vanags@niaa.lv
[1] Parts per million (ppm) - the ratio of the number of particles to the volume where these particles are located.
[2] A study on the role of ventilation in controlling the spread of the Covid-19 virus has been carried out by a group of researchers from the Environmental Modelling and Monitoring Group. The study was published by the UK's Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies, which provides scientific and technical advice to support government decision-makers in emergencies. More about the study: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/emg-role-of-ventilation-in-controlling-sars-cov-2-transmission-30-september-2020
[3] A guideline to limit the indoor airborne transmission of COVID-19. Martin Z. Bazant, John W. M. Bush; 2021 https://www.pnas.org/content/118/17/e2018995118