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    Malls draw up plans to live with coronavirus

    Synopsis

    As per new guidelines drawn up by the Shopping Centres Association of India (SCAI), seating will be allowed at alternate tables to maintain adequate physical distancing while cafeteria vendors have been instructed to serve only packed food until the Covid-19 outbreak subsides.

    malls-bccl
    Multiple mall owners told that once the lockdown ends, social distancing norms will become an integral part of operations.
    New Delhi: Malls are setting up pandemic response teams, isolation centres for those who may be infected, and dedicated apps to order food as they look to get shoppers back inside once the lockdown ends. They are also asking for the deployment of sneeze guards by retailers as part of new protocols to mitigate risk.

    As per new guidelines drawn up by the Shopping Centres Association of India (SCAI), seating will be allowed at alternate tables to maintain adequate physical distancing while cafeteria vendors have been instructed to serve only packed food until the Covid-19 outbreak subsides.

    “We have told the government that malls are a much safer place and in phase one, barring bars and cinemas, everything else should be allowed to open,” said Pushpa Bector, executive director, DLF Shopping Malls. “We have an internal app, which we are updating to include activities like ordering food and customers will be informed about Covid-19 through that application.”

    The SCAI’s recommendations for food courts include sanitisation of tables and seats after every use, temperature testing for employees and customers, thorough cleaning of raw materials and medical checks for workers. Other possible contact points such as booking desks and podiums outside restaurants will also need to be disinfected regularly.

    Retailers selling discretionary products ranging from apparel to lifestyle at malls haven’t been allowed to open during the lockdown.

    Within the service segment, restaurants were among the worst hit as they had to shut and although some have switched to deliveries, many are struggling to pay rent and salaries.

    Multiple mall owners told ET that once the lockdown ends, social distancing norms will become an integral part of operations. Food courts, which typically drew the crowds to malls along with movie theatres, will see pressure on sales due to increased restrictions.

    “We will ensure that not more than a particular number of visitors are there in the food court at any given point of time,” said Abhishek Bansal, ED, Pacific Group. “We are also planning to install fumigation chambers, which can disinfect a person’s body and clothes in a few seconds, at entry points of the mall.”

    The guidelines also suggest de-cluttering of stores as open spaces will be essential in getting people to return.

    “We have shared the guidelines with various state governments and central government,” said Amitabh Taneja, chairman and founder director, SCAI. “The 48-page exhaustive guideline has been prepared keeping in mind the best practices in other countries and also WHO guidelines.”

    Retailers have also been asked to restrict customer entry depending on store size--ideally to one customer for every 50 square feet of space.


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