Legislation extending supermarket opening hours published in Government Gazette
Supermarkets will stay open until 22:00 at night from Monday to Saturday, while they will also be required to stay open on Sundays and sell newspapers, based on an Act of Legislative Content published in the Government Gazette on Saturday.
The measure is a part of the government's response to the coronavirus pandemic and the measures designed to prevent the spread of the virus.
"Tomorrow, Sunday, supermarkets will be open from 9:00 in the morning until 5:00 in the evening and on Monday morning we will review the figures relating to customer traffic and decide whether they will open next Sunday accordingly," Development and Investments Minister Adonis Georgiadis said on Mega TV.
He clarified that the ALC envisages opening on the next four Sundays but that this could change if things start to normalise.
The minister announced that the one customer per 10 square metres rule is being cut down to one customer per 15 square metres, to avoid the overcrowding that was seen in spite of the restrictions. He also offered assurances that the supply of antiseptic products to the market was continuing smoothly.
The ALC will also include measures to crack down on those charging excessive prices, with mechanisms in place to decide whether there was overcharging. He noted, however, that global prices of ethyl alcohol had quadrupled and were continuing to rise, so the government was monitoring developments.
The legislation also temporarily bans the provision of 'testers' for make-up and other beauty products.
The measures are to apply for a period of up to six months.