One day before the coming into force of the new restrictions imposed by the National Extraordinary Public Health Commission, the administration of the Central Market of Chisinau does not know if the restrictions cover it or not. The market’s acting director Ion Pîntea has told IPN that it is waiting for clarification from the Chisinau Extraordinary Public Health Commission that is to have a meeting.

Ion Pîntea noted the National Extraordinary Public Health Commission’s decision limits the activity of “commercial markets”, but the law on domestic trade stipulates such notions as “mixed market” and “farmers’ market”, not “commercial market” and the Central Market is a mixed market.

According to him, clarity is needed as the market includes shopping centers that can be entered from the streets Varlaam, Armenească and Tighina and these work on weekdays, except for Saturday and Sunday.

The head of the Chisinau City Hall’s Communication Division Vasile Chirilescu said the Chisinau Extraordinary Public Health Commission will convene on February 17 and its decision will be published later.

The National Extraordinary Public Health Commission, which extended the state of public health emergency until April 15, instituted additional restrictive measures so as to prevent the spread of Sars-Cov-2. One of them refers to shopping centers that will have to be closed on the weekend as from February 17. Also, the markets, except for farmers’ markets, will work only on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays.