Despite not being affected at all by the 2G rule themselves, four major grocers are calling for an end to access restrictions in a letter to several top politicians.
The call for a nationwide abolition of the 2G rule in retail is getting louder and louder.
According to the German Retail Association, the four major grocers – Edeka, Rewe, Aldi and the Schwarz Group (Lidl, Kaufland) – called for an end to the access restrictions that still apply in large parts of the trade in a letter to several top politicians on Monday. This is also remarkable because grocers themselves are not affected by the 2G rule at all.
At the same time, FDP leader and Finance Minister Christian Lindner signaled doubts about the current regulation. “Personally, I ask myself whether we really need the very strict access restrictions in retail in the long term. There is economic damage. And you always have to ask whether the damage is in proportion to the additional health benefit,” he told the TV station “Welt”.
The heads of Edeka, Rewe, Aldi and the Schwarz Group explain in a joint letter to Chancellor Wolfgang Schmidt and other top politicians: “Based on our almost two years of experience with the pandemic, we can say that retail with the appropriate hygiene concepts (essentially Mask requirement and distance maintenance) is not a source of infection. » This applies regardless of the traded assortments.
Merchants: Devastating effects on inner cities
For the dealers concerned, the 2G rule, which only allows access to those who have been vaccinated and who have recovered, is causing a significant drop in sales and earnings, the letter goes on to say. The danger of thousands of closures, especially owner-managed businesses, and the devastating effects on inner cities is obvious. The top managers are therefore urging: “Companies should now be able to receive and serve their customers without further restrictions using the tried and tested hygiene concepts.”
The federal and state governments had decided on the 2G rule for large parts of the retail trade in view of the increasing corona incidence figures at the beginning of December last year. This does not apply to shops for daily needs such as supermarkets, drugstores and pharmacies. However, the regulation has already been overturned by courts in several federal states.
Source: Stern
Jane Stock is a technology author, who has written for 24 Hours World. She writes about the latest in technology news and trends, and is always on the lookout for new and innovative ways to improve his audience’s experience.
