EFFECTS OF PANDEMIC TO STREET FOODS VENDORS

INTRODUCTION

On March 16, 2020, a month-long national lockdown was declared. On March 26, the
government announced that needy families would receive a one-time cash handout (380 soles), which
was later extended to informal employees. However, there is concern that a large number of vendors
will fail to register for the funding. The government pledged a greater financial incentive for self-
employed workers, which includes the majority of vendors, but it has yet to be implemented. The
closure is anticipated to stretch until June, leaving many people in dire financial straits. Early in March,
street vendors were asked about the impact of a quarantine on their businesses. Those who are
important to a food chain have been classified as essential workers, and they will continue to work.
Despite the reality that their organization has been delivering masks with their own cash, they need
more hand washing stations and gloves and masks. They are holding talks with the government to allow
access to testing and safety clothing. Because of the absence of safety, many porters are refusing to
work local power lines have already been impacted.

Economics is being studied and intervened in by countries attempting to reduce the effects of
the present pandemic. Governments, on the other hand, may not be taking into account the economic
sufferings of some of the nation's most vulnerable groups. Given their poverty levels and finding
effective, street vendors are one of the most vulnerable groups. Street vendors, who can be found in all
Latin American cities and other parts of the world, are part of the so-called informal economy, which,
due to its characteristics, exempts them from law prohibits the use or occupation of public spaces and
roadways as workplaces. Their economic activities and services do not demand tax records, regulatory
oversight, or social protection. Street vendors provide a variety of goods and services to the general
public, and they operate from temporary static buildings, mobile stalls, or head-loads rather than a
permanent structure. This way of work has exploded in popularity in public locations across the world,
particularly in underdeveloped countries. Nonetheless, it has been an increasing issue in recent decades,
impacting both rich and developing countries. Street selling is an important source of income for
marginalized and impoverished people in many developing nations, particularly internal rural migrants.
However, petty trade is commonly carried out by less educated people in many developing countries. In
political speeches, street food is a common topic. In contrast to the few research studies undertaken to
evaluate its veracity, the media frequently focuses on regions where it is common. This gap is significant
for public policy discourse and execution in the area of street vendor, as it is based on a lack of view and
understanding and its participants. The term "street vendor" has no clear definition. Their wants and
attitudes are unknown. There is no basis for describing its socio - economic dynamics, effectively
distancing street vendors from the rest of the population and ensuring that their human rights to food,
income, and health are not ignored. The problem changes when one of the pandemic's most significant
effects is a drop in families' net income, reducing their purchasing power for basic essentials like food.
Because of their mobility and exposure, street vendors are an important concern during the current
pandemic because they can be at higher risk for coronavirus infection and be a possible source of
disease transfer in cities.
 Studying the economic struggles of street sellers and their families will help us better
understand their views and needs as the pandemic develops. At the same time, they assist governments
in with more targeted at that part of the population. It is important to remember that the State has the
primary responsibility for resolving and responding to the many needs, interests, and opinions that are
meant to meet everyone's basic needs. The media campaigns to "Stay at Home" or "Do Not Go Out"
may not be effective for the group of individuals who do not have a stable paycheck and live in poverty.
We conducted a case-control study to learn how street vendors' economies are impacted and to better
understand their behavior in the face of the COVID-19 outbreak, comparing them to employees in the
formal economy.