Unfortunately, during this time of crisis, we have become accustomed to the Ministry of Health completely disregarding the economic impact when making decisions. The biggest mistake is a flawed crisis management policy that is not based on data or arguments. It is not right that epidemic management is being handled politically, rather than being based on expert recommendations and data analysis. Failing to listen to industry specialists and the subsequent incompetent decisions have become an everyday occurrence, and the weekend closure of shopping centres and the "curbside collection" of goods ordered online is just further proof that this is being done while being aware of the pointlessness of such decisions.

Opinions that such restrictions are incorrect have also been voiced by experts in the health sector, including Professor Ludmila Vīksna, who was also part of government expert groups and has pointed out that, in order to reduce the spread of the Covid-19 virus, human dispersal must be encouraged; from an epidemiological safety perspective, it is self-evident that if some retail outlets are closed, there will be greater crowding in those that remain open. In LTRK's view, the Ministry of Health gives little consideration to two very important criteria for opening shopping centres on weekends and public holidays. Firstly, all premises in large shopping centres are equipped with general ventilation system ducts, which automatically ensure ventilation; CO2 measurements show that air quality in large centres is better than in small retail premises. Secondly, if only persons with a Covid-19 vaccination or recovery certificate are allowed to enter a shopping centre, then it makes no difference whether they are there on weekdays or weekends.