Requiring COVID certificates with current share of vaccination, state shifts responsibility to business – ICSC

KYIV. Sept 28 (Interfax-Ukraine) – The requirement to provide COVID-certificates for visiting shopping centers and shops with the current share of vaccination is tantamount to shifting the responsibility for the vaccination process to business by the state, head of the International Council of Shopping Centers in Ukraine (UCSC) Maksym Havriushyn has told Interfax-Ukraine.

The expert said that new amendments to the Resolutions of the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine dated December 9, 2020 No. 1236 and dated June 29, 2021 No. 677, which the government adopted on September 13, provide for the need to provide a COVID certificate for work and visiting shopping centers and shops during the period of quarantine restrictions.

"This decision is presented as giving businesses the opportunity to work under quarantine conditions. But, given the small share of vaccinated in Ukraine [about 13% of the population are fully vaccinated], this, in fact, is not an option for business. If the attendance of the shopping center drops to 13% of usual, and tenants will have to bear the same operating costs, this will inevitably lead to losses," Havriushyn said.

According to him, by such a decision, the responsibility for vaccination of the population is shifted to business, although this is a direct responsibility of the state.

In addition, the new changes create many problems in the tenant-owner relationship. "Now the owner, in fact, has the right to charge the rent in full during the quarantine restrictions, since the vaccination of the staff is the tenant’s own problem and force majeure will not apply to such cases," Havriushyn said.

The expert said that there will be a problem of dividing the flows of people: who can only go to a supermarket or pharmacy, and who can go shopping. "How can the security of the shopping center verify COVID certificates? Who and how will check the presence of COVID certificates among the store personnel?" the expert lists the issues that are not spelled out by regulatory enactments, which means they can become conflicting.

Havriushyn recommends taking into account European experience when introducing the practice of using COVID certificates for visiting stores and shopping centers. The European Council of Trade Spaces (ECSP), of which the UCSC is a member, monitors restrictions on the operation of trade establishments in Europe on a monthly basis.

Havriushyn said that Ukraine has the lowest proportion of vaccinated citizens among European countries. In developed countries, this figure already reaches 60-80%. At the same time, as of mid-September, in most European countries there are no special requirements for visiting stores and shopping centers. At the same time, in some countries, COVID certificates are used to visit some sites. Thus, in Austria (59% fully vaccinated), in order to be able to use services (beauty salons, gyms, etc.) and restaurants, visitors must register and provide either a negative test result or confirmation of vaccination/confirmation of recovery. In Denmark (75%) for restaurants that provide indoor services, visitors are required to provide a corona passport. In France (65%), access to shopping centers with an area of ​​more than 20,000 square meters is carried out only with a COVID certificate (Pass Sanitaire); restaurants, bars, cafes indoors or outdoors – only with a COVID certificate. In Germany (63%) some services require a negative test result. Stores, with the exception of grocery stores, are closed. In Poland (51%), some restrictions have been introduced when visiting restaurants, fully vaccinated visitors are not subject to restrictions.

Havriushyn said that the UCSC and the Association of Retailers of Ukraine consider vaccination of the population to be the most effective method of combating the spread of COVID-19. "We call on all shopping and entertainment centers to open vaccination centers for the population. To date, 35 vaccination centers have already been opened in Ukraine in the areas of shopping centers and more than 250,000 people have already been vaccinated. But we do not support new quarantine rules and believe that they are not an outlet for business in conditions of quarantine restrictions,", Havriushyn said.

Founded in 2020, UCSC is a non-profit organization that unites key participants in the retail real estate market: owners and developers of shopping centers, as well as companies associated with the construction and maintenance of the shopping and entertainment center.