Shops in Qatar start pasting social distancing stickers on floors

Tribune News NetworkDohaHeeding to ministerial instruction aimed at reducing the risk of local transmission of the coronavirus, shops in Qatar have begun implementing measures to ensure adequate spacing among their customers.  In photos tweeted by social media influencer Hasan al Sai, stickers exhorting patrons to exercise social distancing can be seen on the floors of an Al Meera supermarket.The Ministry of Commerce and Industry on Sunday called on outlets to ensure customers are kept at least 1.5 metres from one another. They were required to put signs on the floors in queuing areas and near payment booths to let customers know where to stand.This was the latest in a series of measures rolled out by the ministry to combat the spread of the virus. On Thursday, the MoCI announced the closure of several souqs , including the Souq Al-Haraj in Al Najma. They will will remain closed until further notice, the ministry added.Earlier in March, Qatar announced a nationwide closure of schools and universities, with public places that attracted a large number of people like the Katara Cultural Village, the National Museum of Qatar and Qatar Foundation facilities closing down in subsequently.Recently, the government asked the restaurants and cafes to shut their dining room but allowed kitchens to run to serve takeout and delivery customers. Similarly retail stores in commercial complexes and barber shops and beauty salons across the country have also been closed.The ministry has made supermarkets and other sales outlets in Qatar sign a pledge to undertake four specific sanitation routine as a precaution against the spread of coronavirus.They include measuring the body temperatures of staff members twice a day, providing sanitisers or sterilizers at main entrances, gathering places and toilets, sterilising shopping carts before their use by shoppers and continuously sterilising surfaces such as refrigerator doors and handles.