#coronavirus reshapes economy: Measures taken in Ireland
In order to reduce the number of people queuing in the supermarkets and give a chance elderly people to buy food & sanitary products, Irish supermarkets have announced that provide early slots for elderly people:
Special arrangements for elderly and vulnerable customers to gain exclusive early access to food and services were done after last weeks stockpiling and queues forming across the island.
Banks have stepped in too as some are delaying the introduction of contactless fees and some are waving them. This in the same time as supermarkets have recommended us to use more contactless payment and not cash.
While the biggest hit was for the bars and restaurants, as from this weekend close to 140.000 people were made redundant.
As many of the bars and also residential sector were paying subscriptions to Sky Ireland services – for sport events that now are either postponed to next year or even cancelled – they will be able to resume their contracts according to the company’s announcement.
Also, in social media there were several bar owners complaining about the situation, one acknowledged afterwards also by Simon Coveney – The Tánaiste.
Retail space managers have even waived the rents for business owners in an effort to keep business afloat.
Because of the current situation, footfall in Dublin city centre was down 28% in the week to last Sunday compared to the same period last year (new data released by DublinTown and quoted by RTE). In addition large stores such as Brown Thomas and Arnotts will be closed from Wednesday – 18th March – to indefinite period but operations will continue online.
And people working in this stores are not few: total employees across Brown Thomas and Arnotts – including concessions – stands at just over 4,000, according to same RTE article.
Lots of customers turning to online shopping means also an increase in delivery time but at list the promise the wheels of the economy will still be working.
While workers that were made redundant because of the closure of restaurants & bars & several other businesses, they will receive welfare payments for a period of 6 weeks at a flat rate payment of €203 per week. According to officials up to now 16.000 already applied, and could be more in the coming days.
As large number of people & business have mortages and business loans and have been impacted by the partial shutdown of the economy an initial three-month freeze on payments is under discussion with the minister of Finance & banks, followed then by a meeting in the coming days at the Central banks according to Irish media.
