The municipal and police authorities of Santiago closed this Wednesday morning the flea market that operates on Avenida Joaquín Balaguer.
The operation involved members of the Ministry of Public Health, the National Police and the Municipal Police, who proceeded to temporarily close the square, where thousands of people crowded.
The provincial director of Health in Santiago, Norberto Peña, said that they closed the market temporarily, but that they have a date to reopen, because they have to reach a consensus with the administrators, since the cases of covid-19 they keep coming back.
He said they will take steps to prevent congestion in other places such as banks, supermarkets and shops.
Traders had to return home with the merchandise. They then improvised a lower market on the site, but members of the Police and Army prevented it.
Motoconchistas and vendors complained about the market closure and described the measure as arbitrary, because today they hoped to make money from the Christmas Eve dinner.