Aizawl: APEX Body Association Traders in Mizoram on Friday asked the state government to revise existing Covid-19 guidelines and to allow all stores to be opened every day under strict compliance in all parts of the country regardless of these areas stated as’ Red zone.’ Mizoram Merchant Association (MIMA), Umbrella Agency 23 Association of traders in the state, through a statement, demanded aid package to compensate for their losses if the government failed to let them open their shop every day.
The association also said that it would hold an executive meeting to decide on future actions if the government failed to revise existing standard operating procedures (SOP).
Restrictions on stores dealing with restaurants, food ingredients, medicines, meat and vegetables, all shops in the red zone are now opened on alternative days with a strange base in an effort to prevent further distribution of Covid-19 in accordance with the guidelines incurred February 4.
The guidelines will apply in all parts of the country until the order further.
In the Aizawl district, around 80 villages or the environment are currently under the red zone.
President Mima PC Laldinthara told PTI that traders and shop owners in the country faced an acute financial crisis due to prolonged locking and closing their shop for several days.
He said that traders and shop owners had lowered their leaves for more than 200 days since the first wave of Covid-19 in 2020.
He said that they had suffered a big loss and many traders could not pay loans and rent their room because of the prolonged closure of the store they.
“We are now under a large financial burden because we have to pay loan interest, rent rooms, various bills and salaries to our boys and women, who are employed to tend to our shops,” Laldinthara said.
He said a number of large traders had permanently closed their stores because they failed to pay their rent.
President Mima said that their opinions were sought by the government every time the guidelines were made but were unsuccessful.
“We usually ask the government to ensure that traders do not face problems because we believe that shops are not the main sources of transmission.
Our medical experts also agree with us in stores.
But every time the SOP is issued, we are at the recipient.
“He said.
Laldinthara claims that they have conducted a survey of more than 3,500 stores in Aizawl during the celebration season between December and January, where only one store reported about Covid-19 case detection between two employees, which was believed to have been contracted from their neighbors.