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National Coordination Body agrees to ease coronavirus measures

Published on: May 1, 2020 • 1:00 AM Author: PR Service
The National Coordination Body for Communicable Diseases, at the session chaired by President Milutin Simović, agreed to amend some orders and formulate binding instructions to enable, as announced, from Monday 4 May:

- Work of shops (textiles, footwear, technical consumer goods, construction material, craft workshops, services, haird and beauty salons, gyms and fitness centers, bookstores, dental offices, driving schools, rent-a-car services, museums and galleries, etc.);
- Taxi transport;
- Local public urban transport in local self-government units where the Public Health Institute has not registered cases of novel coronavirus; and
- Departure of citizens to houses/cottages and family farms in other local self-government units.

The new measures, which enter into force on the day of publication, and apply from 4 May, stipulate that the employer is obliged to provide the employees with a protective mask and disinfectant while working in the facilities, premises and vehicles. It has also been suggested that it is the responsibility of the employer to ensure consistent adherence to the measures by customer, service users and visitors.

Special obligations are prescribed for certain activities.

I Companies and entrepreneurs engaged in retail trade, including green markets, are obliged to:

1. Provide hand sanitizers to customers when entering/leaving the facility, as recommended by the Public Health Institute of Montenegro.
2. Limit the number of customers who can be in the facility at the same time - only one person on 10 square meters, while respecting the social distance of at least 2 m between customers, i.e. customers and employees.
3. Control in larger retail outlets (markets, supermarkets, hypermarkets, etc.) the number of customers entering and leaving the facility, as well as to provide transparent plexiglass sheets/panels in order to separate the cashiers from the customers.
4. Ensure that all employees, including green market vendors and customers, wear protective masks, in accordance with the guidelines of the Public Health Institute of Montenegro.
5. Provide/mark a distance of at least 2 m between persons in front of retail outlets, at cash registers and in sectors where goods are served by employees in the retail outlet.
6. Display, at the store entrance, a notice of prescribed temporary measures for the prevention and suppression of the novel coronavirus with instructions for their implementation.

II Companies and entrepreneurs engaged in artisanal activities, repair and maintenance of equipment, tools, appliances, motor vehicles, construction and agricultural machinery, technical inspection of vehicles are obliged to:

1. Organise work in such a way that there can be only one customer on 10 m² of the facility surface, while respecting the social distance of at least 2 m between the customers, that is, the customer and the service provider.
2. Provice hand sanitizers to customers when entering/leaving the facility.
3. Wear a protective mask, both employees and customers.
III Companies and entrepreneurs providing hairdressing and beauty services are obliged to:
1. Organise work in such a way that only one person on 10 m² or two persons can be in the facility at the same time, while respecting the social distance of at least 2 m between customers, and if this is not possible to provide a barrier between work chairs (of non absorbent material at a height of at least 2 m).
2. Provide hand sanitizers to customers when entering/leaving the facility.
3. Employees and customers are obliged to wear a protective mask, and in the event that the customer is being shaved or having a face beauty treatment when the customer is not wearing the mask, the employee is obliged to wear a visor or goggles in addition to the protective mask, in accordance with the instruction of the Public Health Institute of Montenegro.

IV Companies and entrepreneurs providing fitness center and gym services are obliged to:

1. Organise work in such a way that only one person on 10 m² or two persons can stay in the facility at the same time, while respecting the social distance of at least 2 m between the customers.
2. Provide hand sanitizers to customers when entering/leaving the facility.
3. Employees are required to wear a protective mask, except during active training/exercise.
4. Customers in fitness centers and gyms are obliged to disinfect with adequate disinfectant the surface and device when changing the exercise device, as well as to respect other measures, in accordance with the instruction of the Public Health Institute of Montenegro.

V Gambling organisers in betting shops and gambing houses are obliged to:

1. Organise work in such a way that only one person can be in the facility (on 10 m²) at a time.
2. Provide hand sanitizers to customers when entering/leaving the facility.
3. Employees and players in these facilities are required to wear protective masks and respect the social distance of at least 2 m.
4. The player in the gaming venue must use his pen.
5. Players in the facility where the games of chance are organised are obliged to disinfect with adequate disinfectant the gaming machine and accessories, in accordance with the instruction of the Public Health Institute of Montenegro.

The work of casinos is still prohibited.

VI State authorities, state and local government bodies, banks, post offices and other legal entities are obliged to:

1. Organise work with citizens so that only one person can be in the public office (on 10 m²) at a time, while respecting the social distance of at least 2 m between the users.
2. Install a screen (made of transparent non-absorbent solid material) between the employee and the customer.
3. To provide hand sanitizers to users when entering/leaving the facility.
4. Ensure that employees and customers wear protective masks, in accordance with the instruction of the Public Health Institute.
VII Cultural institutions (libraries, archives, museums and galleries) are obliged to:

1. Organise work in such a way that only one person can be in the facility (on 10 m²) at a time, while respecting the social distance of at least 2 m between the users.
2. Provide hand sanitizers to customers when entering/leaving the facility.
3. Ensure that employees and customers wear protective masks, in accordance with the instruction of the Public Health Institute.

VIII Dental practices are obliged to: 

1. Organise work in such a way as to provide a system of mandatory patient scheduling.
2. Ensure that only one patient can stay in the waiting room (on 10 m²) at a time, while respecting the social distance of at least 2 m between patients.
3. Provide hand sanitizers to patients when entering/leaving the practice.
4. Ensure that all employees follow work procedures and wear personal protective equipment, in accordance with the recommendations of the Public Health Institute and the Dental Chamber of Montenegro.

IX Owners of vehicles for the transport of passengers in local self-government units where there is no local transmission of the novel coronavirus are obliged to carry out transport only if they are implementing prevention measures (wearing protective masks, without enabling standing in the vehicle), in accordance with the instruction of the Public Health Institute of Montenegro.

The suspension of public passenger transport in intercity, suburban and urban bus and van transport is in effect, except for organised transport of employees. This prohibition does not apply to public urban and local suburban bus and van passenger transportation in local government units where there is no local transmission of the novel coronavirus.

X Taxi carriers providing services within the territory of the local self-government unit are obliged to:

1. Provide services in such a way that there are no more than two persons in the vehicle, at the rear seat of the vehicle, while both customers and driver wear protective masks.
2. The driver is obliged to disinfect the surfaces most commonly touched by passengers (door handles and interior doors and seats), in accordance with the instruction of the Public Health Institute of Montenegro.

XI Legal entities and entrepreneurs providing car rental services are obliged to:

1. Organise work in such a way that there can be only one person in the facility (on 10 m²) where the vehicle is rented.
2. Employees and customers must wear protective masks inside the facility.
3. Provide hand sanitizers to customers when entering/leaving the facility.
4. Disinfect the interior of the rental vehicle with disinfectants before the customer enters the vehicle, as well as after the customer returns vehicle, in accordance with the instruction of the Public Health Institute of Montenegro.
XII Legal entities that train drivers (driving schools) are obliged to:

1. Organise work in such a way that there can be only one person in the rooms for theoretical instruction and rooms for passing the theoretical driving test (on 4 m² of the surface of the room).
2. Provide hand sanitizers to customers when entering/leaving these premises.
3. Employees and customers are obliged to wear protective masks, while respecting the social distance of at least 2 m.
4. Driving schools are obliged to disinfect the interior of the vehicle with disinfectants before and after using the vehicles for the practical training of the candidates and passing the practical driving test, in accordance with the instruction of the Public Health Institute of Montenegro.

XIII Farmers and persons who own houses/cottages with land in other municipalities may go to their farm or house/cottage:

1. Using appropriate certificate which can be downloaded from the Public Health Institute website. (The information filled in the certificate and the actual residence address will be subject to control.)
2. Avoiding contact with other persons (except members of the family household).
3. Respecting the social distance of at least 2 m when carrying out work on the farm.

XIV Persons holding a license for recreational and commercial fishing, or a vessel license, may go to the place where they are fishing, or in which they hold a vessel license.

1. Persons holding these licenses are obliged to carry licence with them.

XV Public sector employees are required to wear protective masks while working indoors.

XVI Members of the joint family household shall be exempted from the prohibition of movement and loitering in public areas of more than one person, while respecting social distance of at least 2 m.

Considering the epidemiological situation, the National Coordination Body recommended that all employers, including the administration, enable the work of their employees from home whenever possible, since the epidemiological situation still does not require the return of all employees to their jobs.

State authorities in which there is a work obligation are recommended to provide shift work to all parents of children under 11 years of age.

Analyzing the arrival of Montenegrin citizens from abroad, the National Coordination Body expressed its commitment to continue to enable organised return of our citizens. The National Coordination Body urged everyone not to embark on individual trips without coordination with our diplomatic missions and consular posts, since without coordination, crossing the border or entering Montenegro is not possible.

The fourth Report of the Operational Team on Donation Management was adopted, stating that almost EUR eight million (EUR 7,851,494.20 and 75,971.72 US dollars) were donated since the opening of the National Coordination Body's giro account on 19 March.

In the reporting period, the total outflow is EUR 1,757,173.33. (Specification of expenses per week is attached/can be downloaded here).

The account balance of the National Coordination Body for Communicable Diseases on 29 April is € 6,094,320.87 and $ 75,971.72.

The National Coordination Body was briefed on the views and suggestions given by the Public Health Institute of Montenegro to the Ministry of Education regarding the proposed continuation of educational activities - pre-school testing and graduation exam.

PUBLIC RELATIONS SERVICE OF THE GOVERNMENT OF MONTENEGRO

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