How reliable are the labels covid-free, some restaurants and shops?

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what commercial Strategy to attract customers or health guarantee? Establishments that hang the usual certificates free of coronavirus (“covid free” sold in its space, there is no risk of infection for disinfection constant as well as by other measures such as the use of ozone systems . However, citizens are not free of risks, and these seals may not guarantee the non-existence of the virus in your local. With respect to this trading strategy, the National Business Association for Environmental Health -that represents the sector of pest control services Spanish – has been pointed out that are not appropriate and refer that generate expectations inposibles meet and involve a health hazard by generating a false sense of security.

“At the same time between any local, certified ‘covid-free”, an infected person, especially if it is an asymptomatic patient who may not even know who is a carrier, and cough, the space would already be contaminated,” explains Monge. “Right now,” adds the director general of ANECPLA, Milagros Fernández de Lezeta, “there are many seals who are trying to introduce in the market, the majority of whom are not based in any proceedings, nor have a system of audit to ensure that practices that are carried out correspond to protocols of quality previously established, but only respond to a target market”.

Other organizations had already previously warned. A few weeks ago, the Spanish Confederation of Commerce (CEC) said in a note that these labels “are not a guarantee of safety and may be counterproductive to the cause that consumers to relax the precautionary measures”. On the basis of this premise, the spokesperson of the CEC advises to the traders who incorporate these labels in their windows, because-to date – it is impossible to ensure that a store is free of coronavirus.

The consumer organization OCU has gone beyond that and have asked the Ministry of Health prohibiting its use. The spokespersons of the organization believe that the only thing that means these seals is that it has been cleaned and disinfected, but can not guarantee that the virus is not present, and agree that “create a false sense of security that can lead to some people to relax their measures of precaution”. From OCU we ask for Health that will prohibit their use.

The tangle of seals that proliferates in the present nor does it help to gain clarity or security. The “covid free joins the launch of the “Safe Tourism Certified”, a certification promoted by the Institute for Spanish Tourism Quality ( ICTE) that hotels can incorporate only after passing an audit.

Surcharge for the disinfection

Another of the inconveniences for the consumer comes from the hand of the surcharges that tend to go hand in hand with the disinfection of the premises. When inicioó the desescalada, some users complained to the asoaciaciones of consumption that I was taking a “supplement Covid” of up to 60 euros for the costs of disinfection of workshops of car repairs, hair salons or dental clinics, among other facilities.

From Legálitas explain that this rate is legal as long as you notify the consumer in advance through signage or other means. In this line, recall that these amounts should be specified using the express indication of the amount and apply or not in all circumstances alike.

Also, from the law firm warn that there are private schools, and concluded that they are announcing a rise in rates for the next course to be able to cope with additional charges such as the daily disinfection in intensive classrooms, and distribution of furniture to comply with the minimum safety distance.