The City Council of Orihuela, through the Department of Emergencies, and in collaboration with the Department of Commerce, has started to distribute hydro-alcoholic masks and sanitising gel for those businesses across the municipality that remain open to the public, complying with the rules of the national State of Alarm.
The protective materials will be handed out to help essential workers given the great difficulty that businesses owners are facing try to buy these supplies to keep their staff safe.
Víctor Valverde, Councillor for Emergencies, explained that “food shop and supermarket staff are highly exposed to the Covid-19 contagion as they spend lots of time working in spaces with a large footfall of different people and are constantly attending to the needs of the public.
“Businesses providing food or basic services for people are essential at this difficult time and particularly small businesses which are vitally important, especially in the villages and areas with a high number of elderly neighbours.”
Many of the villages are relying on small, local shops to keep communities supplied as they are a considerable distance from large stores. Local Mayors have been asked to feed back the businesses that are a lifeline for their villages to ensure that workers are protected.
The distribution will take place throughout the municipal area by Civil Protection volunteers and the Department of Sports. It is believed that “about 1,600 disposable hygienic masks will be given out to workers and 280 bottles of 200ml sanitising gel will be distributed to the key businesses that have been identified in this municipal plan.”
These include large supermarkets and medium food stores. It also covers small shops such as: butchers, greengrocers, bakeries, fishmongers, tobacconists, animal food stores, take away or home delivery restaurants, newsagents and mobile phone shops.