Sports Direct, Superhome Centre etc

[Tuppence]

Perhaps those of you who have visited these stores this week can tell us what protective measures are in place? Is there someone on the door restricting how many people enter, is there hand sanitizer etc. I know it’s not easy keeping your distance in supermarkets but I would have thought even worse in these kind of stores where people tend to spend a lot of time browsing or searching for what they want.

[Lincoln]

I have only been to sports direct on two occasions. Well before the Pandemic. It is a very tight squeeze anyway everything packed in tight. The till at the wrong end of the shop as well. So I will also be interested to see if they have done anything at all to change the system.

[trevnhil]

I can only agree with all that you say about the Sport Direct shop... Not one where you can stay away from other people.. Unless the numbers going in are very limited

[emgee]

Lincoln

The till is at that end because you have to walk past lots of goodies for sale on your way to it. The idea is to stop and buy something that catches your eye, ie reduced price or something that you had not planned on buying but impulse buying took over. Do they still have sweets etc at the tills on UK Supermarkets? Shopfitting is a purchasing science designed to get customers to buy more than they need.

[Lazydaze52]

We were in Superhome on Tuesday. Sanitizer provided at the door although no gloves that we could see. Someone was controlling number allowed to enter. Inside all staff in masks and gloves.

[JimX]

Premier electrical shop was open as normal, gloves and Gel supplied.

[Mike J]

There is more and more proof that the key to controlling the virus is social distancing and it is the one area that Cyprus has not got sorted . Supermarkets unlike other countries don’t control entry numbers, have no marked area for queueing outside nor have they made narrow aisles one way and the veg and fruit areas are just a zoo of humanity.
Several restaurants around us are preparing to open on May 21st and have been carefully laying out all the tables just as they had them last year . Tables of 4 or 6 or 8 chairs packed together outside. They seem to believe that a few notices in Greek , a sanitiser spray and washing tables with disinfectant every few hours is all that is required of them outside . I think perhaps the major towns are better certainly the open markets look well controlled but out in the sticks where sighting a policeman is as rare as a dodo it is more business as usual with almost no one working in the shops wearing a mask and the same gloves being worn all day. If they are serious about being open for tourists by the middle of June and the deputy Tourism Director keeps stating that British tourists will be welcome despite his boss’s denials, then things will have to change. With one of the highest if not the highest numbers of policemen per 100,000 of population In the EU ( double the UK number) and 200 extra inspectors one would think enforcement should be a doddle but it is clearly as yet not a countrywide effort. I don’t believe tourists are going to accept crowded restaurants and disorganised supermarkets either as they will expect, certainly this year, to find what they left in their own countries in force here so the Germans, Norwegians , Danes etc that the Tourism minister is talking about as coming in June will have high expectations not business like last year.

[The Aquila]

Supermarkets unlike other countries don’t control entry numbers, have no marked area for queueing outside

That is exactly what Alfa Mega HAVE done.

[Dominic]

There is more and more proof that the key to controlling the virus is social distancing and it is the one area that Cyprus has not got sorted . Supermarkets unlike other countries don’t control entry numbers, have no marked area for queueing outside nor have they made narrow aisles one way and the veg and fruit areas are just a zoo of humanity.
Several restaurants around us are preparing to open on May 21st and have been carefully laying out all the tables just as they had them last year . Tables of 4 or 6 or 8 chairs packed together outside. They seem to believe that a few notices in Greek , a sanitiser spray and washing tables with disinfectant every few hours is all that is required of them outside . I think perhaps the major towns are better certainly the open markets look well controlled but out in the sticks where sighting a policeman is as rare as a dodo it is more business as usual with almost no one working in the shops wearing a mask and the same gloves being worn all day. If they are serious about being open for tourists by the middle of June and the deputy Tourism Director keeps stating that British tourists will be welcome despite his boss’s denials, then things will have to change. With one of the highest if not the highest numbers of policemen per 100,000 of population In the EU ( double the UK number) and 200 extra inspectors one would think enforcement should be a doddle but it is clearly as yet not a countrywide effort. I don’t believe tourists are going to accept crowded restaurants and disorganised supermarkets either as they will expect, certainly this year, to find what they left in their own countries in force here so the Germans, Norwegians , Danes etc that the Tourism minister is talking about as coming in June will have high expectations not business like last year.

I don't know what supermarkest you have been visiting, but all the ones I use: Paps, Lidl and Alphamega, all have social distancing measures in place. And the queues outside have been well maintained. You do occasionally get the odd person who refuses to stand in a queue, but they are just made to wait to one side, looking like an idiot, while the queue trundles through.

[Mike J]

Paps in Pissouri and Lysiotis in Episkopi

[Jimgym]

Having been to Superhome Centre and Tower Electric today and the dentist yesterday I can say that numbers into shops are strictly controlled, they make sure you take gloves and sanitise and at both the dentist and Tower they are taking temperatures also. Other places may be different of course.

[Mike J]

As I said I’m delighted that the major towns are conforming but that isn’t the case in the outlying areas nor do the local police ( there are 4 police stations of substantial size in this area and indeed both Episkopi and Pissouri have police stations within 50 metres of the supermarkets ) doing anything about it. So yes while I do laud the efforts of the central government HIC there is still plenty of work to be done to get the Whole country ready for tourism and whilst the single digit figures are to be welcomed praise should also go to the North of Cyprus who haven’t reported a single new case since 17th of April and all but 5 Of the 108 that were hospitalised are now fully recovered. So it is pleasing that we with our still single digit numbers are now thinking of re-opening the crossings to let workers from the North come back in to restart their jobs.

[Tuppence]

HIC wrote Why rely on shops and supermarkets for sanitizer? We keep a bottle in a cup-holder in the car, so can use before and after visits to shops, though of course many shops (rightly) require you to use sanitiser on entry.

I always carry sanitizer, gloves & masks & don’t rely on shops & supermarkets to provide them.

I thought the relaxing of restrictions was for small retail businesses to open & didn’t expect the likes of Sports Direct & Superhome Store to be included.

However, being in business yourself, you must be aware of the Health Ministers announcement on 30th April, though I doubt the last measure is/can be implemented.

In summary, as of Monday, the following hygiene measures shall be in place at businesses which will reopen:
8 square metres for each employee and 2 metres distance between them
compulsory placing of an antiseptic at every entrance to the business
posting outside the premises the number of persons within the premises to inform the public and to facilitate the work of Labour Inspectors
daily and diligent cleaning and disinfecting of surfaces which are used regularly, etc
immediate access to masks, thermometers etc