Covid Automat is the monitoring and signaling system of the Ministry of Health of the Slovak Republic. This system is providing early warning of uncontrolled spread of the disease so that the health system can take action the necessary preventive measures and the uncontrolled spread of the disease in advance, as well as during the ongoing critical situation, to contribute to its stabilization and gradual improvement. It enables the predictable set of measures – balancing economic activity and public health. This system aims to provide measures that are: simple, comprehensible, predictable, targeted, enforceable, secure, and consistent with the legislation. For more efficient and sustainable management of the pandemic, it is necessary to worsening of the epidemiological situation and preventing its deterioration by monitoring the cohort epidemiological criteria, the key ones being:

The basis for quality and effective measures in pandemic management is compliance with 4 basic criteria that need to be taken into account when recruiting departmental traffic lights: Security, Insulation, Surveillance, and Protection (MH SR, 2021). The covid automat shoving the epidemiological situation on the map (Figure 3).

UNI Global Union has developed guidelines to protect food retailers from COVID-19 exposure. The recommendations were developed following a collection of best practices from UNI's affiliated trade unions around the world. They are designed to be implemented for all supermarket staff, despite different conditions in different regions. UNI encourages its sales offices to use guidelines when dealing with employers to ensure the protection and rights they deserve from food retailers. Christy Hoffman, UNI Secretary-General, said: "I was concerned and deeply saddened to see a growing number of grocery store workers who were infected with COVID-19 while bravely serving the public, despite the risk to their health and the health of their families." Too many have already died. It doesn't have to be that way. Supermarket workers and customers must be provided with the highest level of protection – as described in these guidelines." "These measures will not only ensure better safety for workers but will also help ensure the safety of supermarkets for all in the face of COVID-19," says Mathias Bolton, UNI store manager. "Healthy workers and safe shops are essential because supermarkets are the most visited places during this pandemic." Without proper safety and protection in shops, the risk of infection increases. That is why we say: protect workers, protect the public." UNI has launched a declaration obliging employers to work with uni and its affiliated departments to share and implement the highest hygiene and safety standards in stores across their operations. It has already been signed by the multinational retailer Carrefour, Auchan, and El Corte Inglés (UNI Global Union, 2020).

Despite COVID-19 is a respiratory illness with a mode of invasion through the respiratory tract, not the gastrointestinal tract, an average food consumer is anxious and concerned about food safety (Pressman, Satyanarayan and Roger, 2020).

Governments must take appropriate measures to prevent the spread of the disease. Examples of measures taken by governments include such as enforcing the proper lockdown among the people; ensure food security by providing the citizens with basic necessities or letting them buy food in the store from the retailers; enforcing and monitoring law and order during the whole pandemic and especially during lockdown period in public places, public transportation, markets, shop, and medical facilities; and identification and treatment of people suffering from coronavirus attack (Hassen, El Bilali and Allahyari, 2020; Jain, Puri and Jain, 2021).

In addition to these measures, the government and the competent authorities should provide an information campaign for the population where consistently, simply, briefly explain to the population what is allowed and what is forbidden, what measures they must follow. Moreover, measures adopted by the competent authorities are then communicated by food retailers to customers at their premises. Individual retailers choose different ways of informing consumers. They should use various pictograms, posters, flyers, stickers, information banners, tv banners, websites, etc. to inform buyers.

The Public Health Authority of the Slovak Republic issued hygiene measures in the form of decrees and published them in the collection of laws of the Slovak Republic. The Government of the Slovak Republic and the Public Health Authority of the Slovak Republic regularly informed citizens and media at press conferences and in the national media Slovak Radio and Television. A special campaign was created, which was broadcast by the media at the time of the commercial broadcast between television programs and radio programs. Basic pictograms were published by the PHA SR to show the principle of Mask – Distance – Hands (Figure 4, a). On the other hand, the legislation did not make these pictograms mandatory. Supermarkets, retail food stores, and grocery shops start to improvise and invent information materials, pictograms especially in their corporate colors, and communicated them to the public (Figure 4, b, c, d). Size, contrast, resolution, limitations of people with color or visual impairments were unlikely to be taken into account. The blue color mostly indicating the recommendation and the red color signaling the restriction were not used consistently. Also, various corporate colors were used, yellow (Figure 7) green (Figure 12).

Customers perceive anti-epidemiological measures applied in food stores as sufficient.

Our sample consisted of respondents from all over Slovakia. The structure of the respondents was:

The age categories:

Education:

Questionnaire preparation: In creating the questionnaire, we relied on hygiene measures proposed by the Public Health Authority of the Slovak Republic and. We formulated some questions in such a way as to find out the overall perception of hygiene measures by the respondents. Respondents were allowed to answer the questions yes or no. There was a possibility to write the opinion regarding the questions. All questions were mandatory.

Number of questions analyzed: 14

Conducting a questionnaire survey: the online questionnaire survey was conducted via the social media Facebook and Instagram. The questionnaire was prepared by Google Form, firstly validated by our research team, and consequently shared with people on social media. Only one person from the research team had access to the collected raw data. We prevented any manipulation of these data. We complied with the requirements of the GDPR legislation of the European Union. Data collection was anonymous. Each participant could complete the questionnaire only once. The survey took place in the period: 15^th of April 2021 – 25^th April 2021.

Multiple correspondence analysis was used to visualize the data obtained from the questionnaire survey. Statistical significance was determined based on the significance of the p-value. The statistical program R studio (vs. 1.3.959) was used for data processing. Multiple correspondence analysis (MCA) is an extension of simple correspondence analysis to summarize and visualize a data table containing more than two categorical variables. It can also be understood as a generalization of the analysis of the main components when the variables to be analyzed are qualitative instead of quantitative (Abdi and Williams, 2010).

Slovakia was among the first countries in the world (and the second in Europe, after the Czech Republic) to make the wearing of masks mandatory in public (URL 1, 2020).

The population of the Slovak Republic strictly adhered to the measures at the beginning of the pandemic when little information was available about the disease and people was scared. The government adopted the first measures in March 2020. The chronology of the most important measures was: 8/3/2020 secondary schools closed in Bratislava region; 9/3/2020 primary schools closed; 10/3/2020 events suspended; 12/3/2020 all event venues closed; 13/3/2020 compulsory 14-day quarantine upon returning from abroad; 15/3/2020 face masks compulsory in public transport and shops; 16/3/2020 non-essential stores closed; 25/3/2020 compulsory face masks in public; 6/4/2020 compulsory 14-day quarantine upon returning from abroad in a quarantine accommodation facility; 8-14/4/2020 curfew during the Easter seasion; 22/4/2020 allowed activities, shops under 300 m², long-term accommodation, outdoor non-contact sports, car selling, open-air markets; 6/5/2020 short-term accommodation without restaurants or eating in common areas, pedicures and manicures, outdoor tourism, taxi services, services and weddings, massages, museums, galleries, libraries, exhibition halls; 20/5/2020 Concentration of people inside of stores increased from 1 person / 25 m² to 1 person / 15 m². Theatres and cinemas opened, events with less than 100 participants allowed. Shopping malls reopened. Swimming pools and gyms open for members of sports clubs. Restaurant interiors are now accessible. Face masks no longer mandatory when the distance between people is at least 5 meters. Schools and Kindergartens to be opened later on 1 June 2020. Residents of Slovakia can now pass the borders and not go into state quarantine as long as they return in under 24 hours; 1/10/2020 Face masks are again compulsory even in exterior spaces if separation of at least 2 meters between persons cannot be maintained. Mass events were restricted to less than 50 people. Restaurants and bars must close by 10 PM and shopping malls must maintain at least 10 meters squared and 2 meters separation per customer. Universities must switch to distanced learning; 15/10/2020 Mass events were banned, except for baptisms, funerals, and weddings, which must maintain at least 15 meters squared per person. Shops and shopping malls must also maintain at least 15 meters squared per customer and must check the customer's body temperature. 9 to 11 AM is reserved for senior citizens. Sports events must be without spectators. Restaurants must serve customers only in exterior spaces or as take-out. Fitness centers, wellness centers, aquaparks, pools, and saunas are closed. High schools must switch to distanced learning. Police may issue ticket up to €1,000 without warning. In October, a decision was taken to try to test every adult in the country. On 31 October and 1 November tests were undertaken in 5,000 test centers. 2.58 million people tested on Saturday with 25,850 tests being positive. By Sunday evening the testing campaign concluded with more than 3.62 million people tested during the weekend. 38,359 (or 1.06%) were positive. Testing was not compulsory but anyone not isolating without a negative test result in a curfew; 19/12/2020 a nationwide lockdown was instituted due to rising numbers of infected and deaths. Except for a few exceptions such as visiting family, going to/from work, buying basic essentials, visiting post offices, banks and doctors, people are required to stay home. The restrictions are planned to last until 10 January 2021; 1/1/2021, measures were toughened again. The government closed ski centers and churches, prohibited hotels from taking new guests, and visits between different households were prohibited. The restrictions will be in place until 24 January; 8-10/1/2021 decision was taken to try to test every adult in city Nitra. Testing was not compulsory but anyone not isolating without a negative test result in a harsher curfew in Nitra, In January, a decision was taken to try to test every adult in the country again. Testing was not compulsory but anyone not isolating without a negative test result in a harsher curfew; 8/2/2021 COVID automat was launched; 1/3/2021 measures were toughened again. Curfew was toughened between 8:00 PM and 1:00 AM. All shops were closed at 8:00 PM; 8/3/2021 FFP2 face masks in public transport and shops; 15/3/2021 Compulsory FFP2 face masks in interiors; 20/3/2021 Holidays were prohibited until 28 April; 25/3/2021 Movement in city and nature is only allowed between 5:00 AM and 8:00 PM; 29/4/2021 Movement in city and nature is only allowed between 5:00 AM and 9:00 PM (MDSR, 2020; WIKIPEDIA, 2021; URL 2, 2021).

The first measures activated by the government at the beginning of the pandemic (March 2020) were very strict. The number of positive cases was minimal during this period and the population did not have direct experience with the disease. Positive cases were detected in the state quarantine in the accommodation facility, which had to be completed by residents returning from abroad and later in the home quarantine. The overall discipline to comply with the measures decreased continuously when the lift of the measures was adopted by the government (May 2020). People were more benevolent with the measures. Consequently, the borders were opened and people began to travel on vacation (summer 2020), they spent time in restaurants and pubs, summer terraces, and shopping centers, but the mass events were officially banned. People returning from and on vacation had to spend time in the home quarantine. The overall situation has deteriorated (autumn 2020) and the incidence of the virus in the population has increased. The number of infections and deaths increased (Figure 1) (December 2020 – March 2021). The overall discipline for the population to follow the measures was not optimal, probably, because the population did not have direct experience with deaths from this disease.

By the Resolution of the Government of the Slovak Republic no. 77 (published in the Collection of Laws under number 49/2021) the state of emergency was repeatedly extended, declared by the Resolution of the Government of the Slovak Republic no. 587 of 30 September 2020, for 40 days with effect from 8 February 2021 in the entire territory of the Slovak Republic. At the same time, with effect from 8 February 2021, the government restricted freedom of movement and residence by a ban on going out from 8 February 2021 from 05.00. until 01.00 the following day, until further notice, but no later than the end of the state of emergency repeatedly extended by this resolution, ie after 19 March 2021, this restriction not applying to travel to and from employment in the case of a person who meets one of the exceptions: Travel to and from the employment, if this person proves a negative result by an RT-PCR test not older than 7 days or an antigen test certified in the territory of the European Union for COVID-19 not older than 7 days, or if the person has a history of COVID-19 and has proof of its survival for not more than three months, or if the person has been vaccinated against COVID-19 with a second dose of vaccine and at least 14 days have passed since that vaccination, or if his or her condition or a medical contraindication does not allow the COVID-19 test to be performed (URL 3, 2021).

At the beginning of March, METRO adopted hygiene, disinfectant and other preventive measures, which are regularly updated. The stores are equipped with disinfection dispensers and stands for use by customers and employees at designated locations. Employees have been instructed to follow all hygiene measures defined by the Public Health Authority of the Slovak Republic or the World Health Organization (WHO). Replacement of air conditioning filters and disinfection of air conditioning was also carried out in all areas (URL 4, 2020).

METRO employees have protective equipment at their disposal, such as a masks, gloves and disinfectants. At the same time, it demands that its customers respect the wearing of masks or other alternatives in all sales areas and in contact with METRO Distribution employees. "Metro thank all customers who behave responsibly during purchases in our stores, comply with current government regulations and thus protect not only themselves but also our employees," METRO also welcomes the recommendations on responsible purchasing issued by the Slovak Alliance of Modern Trade (SAMO) and encourages customers to continue to follow these rules (URL 4, 2020). Hygiene recommendations have been implemented by all big food retail networks and small shops in the Slovak Republic.

Based on public decrees and measures of the Chief Hygienist of the Slovak Republic the following measures concerning the grocery stores are valid in Slovakia. We are providing them in chronological order:

From 25^th of March 2020, it is ordered to close all grocery stores including bread, pastries and meat stores, fruit and vegetable stores, grocery stores for special nutritional purposes for infants and young children every Sunday of the month until further notice, and operators are required to disinfect the premises (PHA SR, 2020a).

From 30^th of March 2020 according to § 48 par. 4 letter e) of Act no. 355/2007 Coll. of the Slovak Republic for clients and employees the following measures are ordered until the appeal: entry and stay in the store only with the covered upper respiratory tract, to apply a disinfectant on the hands, or to use disposable gloves. Provide 2 m distance in rows. One customer on 25 m² of sales area of store. Place the notice in a visible place for buyers at all entrances with the specified hygiene measures for the maximum number of customers at one time. Furthermore, it is ordered from Monday to Saturday, 9:00 to 12:00 to allow entry only to persons over 65 years (PHA SR, 2020b).

From 22^nd of April 2020, a complement to the previous measures: perform frequent ventilation in the premises and disinfect the contact surfaces, handles, shopping carts, and baskets regularly and wash the floors wet every day. From Monday to Friday from 9:00 am until 11:00 to allow entry only to persons over 65 years of age. The Public Health Authority of the Slovak Republic regulates the reserved purchase time for seniors over 65 years of age from 21/04/2020. The currently valid reserved shopping time for seniors over 65 is from 9:00 to 11:00 Monday to Friday (PHA SR, 2020c).

From 6^th of May 2020, a complement to the previous measures: the maximum number of customers in store is one customer per 25 m² of the sales area of the store. This condition does not apply to children (PHA SR, 2020d).

From 20^th of May 2020, change of previous measures: the number of customers in store at one time may not exceed the concentration of one customer per 15 m² of the sales area of the store, which does not apply to children. It is ordered to the operators to provide in the grocery store and drugstore from Monday to Friday from 9:00 to 11:00 entry only for persons over 65 years of age (PHA SR, 2020e).

From 27^th of May 2020, from 6:00, change of previous measures. the number of customers in store at any one time shall not exceed one concentration of one customer per 15 m² of the area of store intended for customers, this condition shall not apply to children; this condition also does not apply if the operator can ensure and maintain a distance between individual customers of at least two meters (PHA SR, 2020f).

From 3^rd of June 2020 change of previous measures: in the grocery store there may be no more than one customer per 10 m² of the sales area of the store, this does not apply to children. The condition also does not apply if the operator allows ensuring a two-meter distance between customers (PHA SR, 2020g).

From 20^th of June 2020, complementing previous measures: grocery stores must also ensure the detailed implementation of regular cleaning and disinfection under the daily sanitation regime based on acceptable and established principles of good hygiene practice under Regulation (EC) No 1774/2002 of the European Parliament and the Council. 852/2004 on food hygiene (PHA SR, 2020h).

From 1^st of October 2020, change of previous measures: maintaining distances in the row of persons in the store of at least two meters, and this does not apply to persons living in the same household (PHA SR, 2020i).

From 15^th of October 2020 change of previous measures: the concentration of one customer per 15 m² of sales area of the store cannot exceed, but this requirement does not apply to children from 14 years of age with an adult. It is ordered to the operators to provide from Monday to Friday from 9:00 to 11:00 entry only for persons over 65 years of age (PHA SR, 2020j).

From 19^th of December 2020 change of previous measures: the concentration of one customer per 15 m² of sales area of the store cannot exceed, but this does not apply to children under 10 years accompanied by an adult, it is also prohibited for customers to consume food and beverages in indoors and outdoors parts of the store. On Mondays and Fridays from 9:00 to 11:00, entry is allowed only for persons over 65 years of age, except for 24.12. 2020 and 31.12.2020, when the valid shopping time for seniors is from 9:00 to 10:00 (PHA SR, 2020k).

All facility operators are required to ensure that the number of customers in store at a time is one customer per 15 m² of sales area designated for customers, but this condition does not apply to children under 10 years accompanied by an adult when the area of store intended for customers does not reach 15 m². A maximum of one customer, except for children, may be in store at any one time. Operators of food stores should allow Monday to Friday from 9:00 to 11:00 entry is allowed only for persons over 65 years of age (PHA SR, 2021a).

From 2^nd of February 2021 change of previous measures: according to the provisions of § 48 par. 4 letter c), e) and y) of Act no. 355/2007 of Coll. of the Slovak Republic as amended for the districts of Trnava, Hlohovec, and Piešťany, all facility operators are ordered to comply with the following measures: the number of customers in store at one time may not exceed the concentration of one customer per 25 m² from the sales area designated for customers, this does not apply to children up to 10 years accompanied by an adult. If the sales area of the store intended for customers does not reach 25 m², then a maximum of one customer can be in store at a time (this condition does not apply to children under 10 years accompanied by an adult). Ensure the maximum possible use of available cash registers to minimize the number of customers waiting in front of cash registers. In the case of self-service cash registers, ensuring that the distances between persons in rows are maintained, including lateral distances of at least 2 m, does not apply to persons living in the same household. To ensure the maintenance of distances between persons in rows of at least 2 m in the interiors of the store, this does not apply to persons living in the same household (PHA SR, 2021b).

From 8^th of March 2021 change of previous measures: according to the provisions of § 48 par. 4 letter c), e) and y) of Act no. 355/2007 of Coll. of the Slovak Republic, it is ordered to all facility operators to comply with the following measures: to ensure the maximum possible use of available cash registers to minimize the number of customers waiting in front of cash registers. In the case of self-service cash registers, ensuring that the distances between persons in rows are maintained, including lateral distances of at least 2 m, does not apply to persons living in the same household. In the interiors of the store to ensure the maintenance of distances between persons in rows of at least two meters, this does not apply to persons living in the same household. According to § 48 par. 4 letter e) of the Act, food business operators are ordered to allow from Monday to Friday from 9:00 am. to 11:00 am. entry only to persons over 65 years of age or persons with severe disabilities and their guides, based on a card of a person with severe disabilities or a card of a person with severe disabilities with a guide (PHA SR, 2021c).

From 15^th of March 2021 change of previous measures: according to § 48 par. 4 letter r) of the Act no. 355/2007 of Coll. of the Slovak Republic to properly cover the upper respiratory tract (nose and mouth), all persons are ordered to use a preventive protective device, which is a respirator (not a mask) or similar device (always without exhalation valve) meeting at least all technical conditions and requirements for filter half mask with at least FFP2 classification according to the technical standard STN EN 149+A1. Wearing this kind of respirator is mandatory in the public in all commercial establishments (PHA SR, 2021d).

From 22^nd of March, 2021, change of previous measures: for the districts of Čadca and Kysucké Nové Mesto, all facility operators are ordered to comply with the following measures: the number of customers in store at one time may not exceed one customer per 25 m² children up to 10 years of age accompanied by an adult if the sales area of the store intended for customers does not reach 25 m². At most one customer can be in store at a time. This condition does not apply to children under 10 years accompanied by an adult. Ensure the maximum possible use of available cash registers to minimize the number of customers waiting in front of cash registers. In the case of self-service cash registers, to ensure that the distances between persons in rows are maintained, including lateral distances of at least 2 m, this does not apply to persons living in the same household. In the interiors of the store to ensure the maintenance of distances between persons in rows of at least 2 m, this does not apply to persons living in the same household (PHA SR, 2021e).

In addition to the above requirements when the grocery shop is located in the shopping center: the shopping center should allow access to the premises only to a person with a body temperature of not more than 37 °C, each person entering this shopping center should disinfect hands. Only grocery stores, drugstores, and pharmacies can be open for the public in the department store. Other retail stores must be closed. Only the issue of goods purchased in advance in the e-shop is allowed (PHA SR, 2020k).

In a stricter regime, during the peak of the pandemic, there was a restriction for persons to shop food only in the nearest retail/grocery or similar place from the place of residence to the extent necessary to procure the essential needs of life (in particular the purchase of food, medicine, medical devices, hygiene goods, drugstores goods, feed and other necessities for animals, provision of childcare, provision of care pets, refueling) (PHA SR, 2021f).

From 16^th of April, 2021 a) Only persons with covered upper airways may enter and stay in the outdoor and indoor areas of the store; this obligation does not apply to the time required for the consumption of beverages and food, b) apply hand disinfection to entrants or provide disposable gloves at the entrance to the facility, c) visibly place a notice of the obligation to comply with the above hygiene measures on all entrances, to carry out frequent ventilation of the premises and to regularly disinfect contact surfaces, handles, shopping carts and baskets, used devices, tools and aids, to use disinfectants with viruidal effect for disinfection, e) to ensure that the distance between persons is at least 2 m; this does not apply to persons living in the same household or persons with severe disabilities and their assistants, f) the number of customers in store at one time may not exceed the concentration of one customer per 15 m² of the sales area of the establishment intended for customers; this does not apply to children under 10 years accompanied by an adult; if the sales area of the place intended for customers does not reach 15 m², there may be a maximum of 1 customer in the place at one time; this condition does not apply to children under 10 years of age accompanied by an adult, g) the obligation under letter f) is met if the area of store intended for customers does not reach 90 m².

All operators of department stores, where a department store is considered to be a defined enclosed space, permanent architectural object, which consists of a set of shops or premises intended for services and sales of goods, observe the following measures: a) equip the hygiene facilities of the store with liquid soap and paper towels, b) allow entry to the premises of the department store only to a person with a body temperature of 37 °C, c) the number of customers in the department store at one time must not exceed one customer per 15 m² of sales area of all operations in the department store intended for customers; this condition does not apply to children under 10 years of age accompanied by an adult, d) to disinfect sanitary facilities every hour, e) to ensure that public catering establishments serve food and drink only in the packaged state, f) it is forbidden to consume food and drinks in the premises of the department store, g) ensure the closure of seating sections and children's corners (PHA SR, 2021g).

Gradually, in connection with the improvement of the pandemic situation in May 2021, the lift of the measures is expected. Other stores in shopping centers are opening again. The sale of food in markets and marketplaces is resumed.

The COVID-19 pandemic situation has changed the behavior of the population living in the Slovak Republic from many aspects of human life. It is well known, that the diverse site of the pandemic covers the loss of human lives, negative health impacts, negative economic aspects, etc. The shopping ability was driven by mentioned facts but also by several regulations that prohibit entrance to most of the shops and other typical services, with a few exceptions for groceries, drug, pharmacy or pet feed shops, with one general goal to minimize the close human contacts to slow down spreading of the virus. Remarkable was increased interest for food-like stuff, probably caused by the higher need for cooking activities caused by home office isolation, transferred to a higher frequency of grocery shops visiting. As such places are risky from the COVID-19 human-tohuman share point of view for a long time, we have prepared the questionary with a package of fourteen questions focused on the most important anti-Covid regulations and routines to maintain a picture of real anti-pandemic customer protection in the Slovak market. One thousand respondents fill out the online questionnaire, on the principle of one choose answer per each question, based on Yes or No. Results of the hygiene measures survey are presented in Figure 5 and Figure 6.

The most frequent answers of the respondents included the following:

There should be a competent person (security man) at the entrance who will supervise the use of disinfectant because it has already been abandoned. Reduce the number of customers. Observe the spacing. Pensioners should shop only for limited hours and not go to the store whenever they want, they would be more protected. Gloves could also be mandatory. More frequent disinfection of trolleys, bag racks, etc.), limits the capacity of people (or control it). More frequent disinfection of surfaces with which customers come into contact. More frequent cleaning of shopping baskets. The disinfection of shopping carts and baskets is inconsistent. Disinfection of trolleys, gloves, distances is not observed! Observe the number of people per 1 m². More thorough control of hand disinfection. A more thorough inspection of properly fitted respirators/masks. Make sure everyone has the mask in place properly. Disinfect even more often and often check if people have anything to disinfect their hands with. Checking compliance with the measures. Checking antigen or PCR tests before entry, disinfection of the basket at entry. Disinfect baskets and trolleys, consistently release retirees only in the allotted time. I have a feeling that shopping carts are not disinfected at all. Fewer people at the store and more frequent disinfection of shopping baskets, often missing a disinfectant in the store. Temperature measurement in people before entering the store, disinfection of baskets after each use, disinfection of door handles at least once every 15-20 minutes. People manipulate with bare hands with unpackaged bread, vegetables, fruit and no one will warn them. Insufficient disinfection of areas such as cash registers, handles, baskets, pastry tongs. Insufficient hygiene measures for manipulation with pastry, fruit, and vegetables, insufficient hygiene for the cash register, for handling goods and money. Negative tests are not checked, insufficient disinfection of baskets, door handles, the permitted number of people per square meter is not observed, poor disinfection of the hands of saleswomen at the cash register. I don't think that disinfection at the entrances is sufficient, I often find it diluted, people just apply it to their hands in a proforma so that it doesn't happen. Someone should stand at the entrance, they could encourage customers to better disinfect. I don't like that there is no limited number of customers in supermarkets, and so often, especially in the fruit and pastry section, there is a so-called head to head. The number of people per area is not observed. There are no controls, people do not use disinfectant, they rummage in pastries without gloves. The controls are simply not satisfactory, traders don't care, mainly to sell the goods. I've never seen saleswomen disinfect handles, baskets. Staff who control the number of people and hand cleaning and negative tests are missing, people have no respect, they do what they want. In my opinion, everyone should put on their gloves before entering the store and throw them away at the end. Mandatory gloves. The saleswomen have a mask under their noses and the temperature and the number of people are no longer checked, and people stand in a long line. Tighter regulation of the number of customers and control of valid measures. Stricter controls in stores. Who controls them at all? How is it possible that the measures are not complied with? People infected with the corona also have access to shops (and they know about it), it doesn't feel right to me. I don't even see the logic in the time reserved for retirees, so if they have to go to the shops in a reserved interval, then they should not go when others can go. Regulation of the number of people in the store. Weak control of a limited number of people per m². Monitoring of distances, no one checks it directly in the store. Stricter controls. Theoretically, they may be sufficient, but I rather see the problem in the customers themselves. In my experience, no one cared how many people entered the store. No one checked to see if people were disinfecting their hands. People did not keep a minimum distance of 2 m and many of them did not have the mask/respirator properly fitted. Crowds in the store at the cash register. People are also very close to pastries. The measures have already been relaxed, no one in the hypermarkets controls the numbers of people, does not clean the baskets, does not measure the temperature as in the beginning. There is disinfection in every store at the entrance, but few people use it, the same for masks and respirators, many people have not properly fitted them on their faces. In a few stores, someone oversees the number of people in the business or at least the proper wearing of a respirator, sometimes disinfection is not available at the entrance. First and foremost, regular disinfection should be added upon entering the store. A lot of people are buried, someone is still breathing down my neck, especially with vegetables in our store, or even with pastries or meat products. And sometimes I don't know if I have a disinfectant to squeeze my hands or feet, they have it differently everywhere. Lots of people in the same place. It would be good to cancel the hours for retirees. A large number of people in the store at the same time, young people between 9-11 can not go to the store but retirees can still (without insult). Get back to normal. No need to do such checks anymore, it is unnecessary. Few checks are performed. The employees are also in the front line and no one cares about them, and people still open their mouths when they reprimand them for their divorce. People get angry and frustrated at the saleswomen because they have to stick to the motto of our customer, our master. Closing operations is nonsense, it would be enough if people were waiting outside and there were only a few people in the store. Grouping of people on stock goods, no spacing 2 m apart if something is in action and few people are pushing each other. Increase the number of employees to check compliance with hygiene measures. One-way entry and exit are not provided by all retail chains in Slovakia.

The differences in the use of pictograms can be seen in the following figures: Billa supermarkets (Figure 7), Kaufland supermarkets (Figure 8), Tesco supermarkets (Figure 9), Tesco online shopping and delivery (Figure 10), Lidl supermarkets (Figure 11) Coop Jednota (Figure 12). Hygiene measures can be seen in the following figures: Coop Jednota and Tempo (Figure 13 and Figure 14), customers waiting in lines in front of stores (Figure 15), information notices in Tesco (Figure 16), measuring the temperature of people (Figure 17), hygiene measures in Lidl (Figure 18), Tesco (Figure 19), Tesco home delivery (Figure 20), restrictions on the purchase of non-foodstuffs (Figure 21). The Public Health Authority of the SR took over the official leaflet of the World Health Organization, translated it into Slovak, and made it available for download on its website (Figure 22). Several activities and inspections of compliance with regulations were performed by the police of the Slovak Republic and the municipal police in individual cities (Figure 23). Obligation to comply with measures in supermarkets Kaufland (Figure 24). Measures for customers in Metro (Figure 25). Problems with compliance with hygiene measures were regularly observed (Figure 26). Recommendation for one-way movent and disinfection (Figure 27).

The government took strong containment measures to prevent the spread of COVID-19 with restrictions on daily living such as social distancing and the closing of businesses and schools. While these measures are essential to stop the virus from spreading, several voices came to warn of their potentially disruptive impact on the agri-food system (Hassen, El Bilali and Allahyari, 2020), supermarkets, retail food stores, and grocery.

Governments have various other issues to address, such as enforcing the proper lockdown among the people; providing the citizens with basic necessities like food, groceries, and vegetables, from the retailers; enforcing and monitoring law and order during the lockdown period pertaining to areas like transportation, markets, shops, public gatherings, and medical facilities; and identification and treatment of people suffering from coronavirus attack (Jain, Puri and Jain, 2021). We agree that such measures must enable the population to buy food and necessities, including medicines. The measures themselves must therefore not be very restrictive, they must represent a healthy compromise between the needs of the people and the anti-pandemic commissions and public authorities.

Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) poses an occupational health risk to food system workers including farmers/producers, grocery store workers, emergency food system staff and volunteers (e.g., food pantry workers), and others.

These food system workers have been pushed to the frontline of this pandemic, providing essential services that support food consumption. Food system workers are some of the most economically vulnerable populations and are at risk of further financial disparities and contraction of COVID-19 during this pandemic. As we continue to grapple with the best strategies to support the food system and mitigate concerns around the spread of COVID-19, appropriate measures must be considered to better protect and support front-line food system workers that safeguard food access for all (Parks et al., 2020).

The grocery retail industry is encountering unique challenges and opportunities during the 2019 Novel Coronavirus (COVID-19). The pandemic led to various transformations in the food retail industry, including changes in consumer perception and behavior. Although the pandemic has a situational nature, these transformations could have both temporary and long-lasting effects on reforms of the grocery retail industry (Wang, et al., 2020b). Personal consumption expenditures have been significantly affected by the economic shocks in the COVID-19 era (Dong et al., 2021). Panic buying during the novel Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic led to a temporary shortage of several staples and basic supplies in grocery stores, thus limiting the public's access to basic needs and exacerbating stress and anxiety (Kassas and Nayga, 2021).We agree, many people have restricted shopping as such and are buying food in the nearest groceries, as ordered by the Public Health Authority of the Slovak Republic. However, we have also noticed that people are moving to the shopping center by car, even though most shops have to be closed. They justify this move by the need to buy their favorite foods, including pharmacy medicines and pet food at a specialist pet store.

As a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, the adoption of healthier food habits varied significantly with gender, age, and household income. There is a need to raise awareness among people on how to shop safely in grocery stores and that good hygiene practices should be followed in grocery stores to mitigate the risk of infection to consumers (Shamim, Ahmad and Alam, 2021).

During the COVID-19 crisis food habits have changed among the population as food consumption is now carried out totally at home, and visits to groceries or food centers have decreased considerably (Sinisterra-Loaiza, 2020), and in some countries, such as the Slovak Republic, there has been a complete decline in the hotel and catering sector. COVID-19 brought a high degree of disruption for society, firms, and consumers. Retail, grocery, and food services have been particularly affected as they were expected to maintain their operations while mitigating marketplace risks (Aboelenien, Arsel and Cho, 2021).

In some countries like Slovakia where the restriction adopted by the authorities were too strict, many small food establishments went bankrupt. Supermarkets and grocery stores continue to operate, albeit in a restricted mode, supplying people with food and showing sales, and possibly making a profit.

COVID-19 continues to impose a series of unique challenges on the food retail and foodservice sectors in Canada. In May 2020, the expectation was that the public health crisis shutdowns of the restaurant sector would be temporary. Grocery stores have solidified their changed realities through an increased focus on multiple channel retailing rather than a complete choice between either bricks and mortar or online.

Increased costs, resulting from the pandemic, are continuing to filter through the food system and we have a growing problem with food security for some Canadians given that employment in January 2021 was found to be at its lowest level since August 2020. Unemployment moves directly with lockdowns that are varied across the country (Goddard, 2021). There is a sharp growth in demand for food deliveries and online grocery (Gabriel, Darwish and Hassanien, 2021).

We agree, many respondents in our questionnaire survey stated that they use the home delivery service. Food delivery directly to the home in Slovakia was offered mainly by two retailers: Metro Cash & Carry and by Tesco.

Some municipalities ensured the purchase of food for the elderly and brought it directly to their house.

During the coronavirus disease-2019 pandemic, online grocery shopping experienced a never seen popularity in many countries. Amazon seems to follow its low-price strategy also in the grocery sector, even in times of high demand. However, during the lockdown phase, there were more price increases for certain highly demanded product groups such as frozen and prepared foods (Hillen, 2021).

Online grocery shopping is a way of purchasing food products using a web-based shopping service. The current COVID-19 pandemic is determining a rethinking of purchase choice elements and consumers’ behavior. The results of this work highlight that people having familiarity with buying food online, that have a higher educational level and consider food online channels easy to use, appear more satisfied with the food online shopping experience. These findings can be crucial for the future green global challenges as online shopping may help to reach competitive advantages for company sustainability (Alaimo, Fiore and Galati, 2020). Online shopping for food products is quickly accelerating worldwide, particularly following the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. Most e-grocers are multichannel supermarkets that have developed online channels. Variables defining retailer brand equity, i.e., retailer awareness, retailer associations, retailer perceived quality, and retailer loyalty contribute, together with perceived usefulness, to explain intentions to shop online at multichannel supermarkets (Bandenhop and Frasquet, 2021).