Uruguay: Small Businesses and Facilities Resume Operations

In Uruguay, President Luis Alberto Lacalle's administration Wednesday allowed small business and minor trade facilities to resume their economic operations after a period of inactivity that began on March 16.

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Small businesses will receive as many clients as their capacity allows, but respecting the health preventive measures. In boutiques, for example, workers will need to ensure that clothes customers are trying on are not immediately returned to the display hangers.

Because of the differences between commercial activities, however, there is no single health protocol in Uruguay.

"We cannot do what we want. Resuming activities means we have to be much more responsible than we were before. We will meet with the Health Minister to establish protocols," the Group Center spokesperson Federico Celsi said. 

Once economic activities have restarted, Uruguayan unions fear a new contagious wave alongside a pandemic higher peak. Under current circumstances, workers will be more exposed to the virus and more vulnerable to employers' pressure.

The Commercial Employees Federation has complained that there are no adequate protocols yet for the safe performance of business activities. The organization added that the Lacalle administration did not hold collective bargaining on the decision.

"Without sales, there is no incorporation of workers. We want to go deeper with the creation of protocols because each company is working with its own," Celsi said.

As of Thursday morning, Uruguay had reported 673 COVID-19 cases, 486 recoveries, and 17 deaths. ​​​​​​​