Unlocking the COVID-19 lockdown: shopping malls re-open from today, but be prepared for a different experience

Shopping malls re-opened from Monday as the unlocking continues amidst high rate of Novel Coronavirus (COVID-19) being reported across the country.

The country has seen the highest single day COVID-19 count in the last 24 hours – which was reported to be 9,983. West Bengal too has seen huge increase in COVID-19 cases in the whole of the first week of June – 2,686 new cases have been reported across the state – with 449 new cases reported in the last 24 hours.

Under this backdrop, there is trepidation among the shoppers who are unsure of whether or not to venture into the shopping malls right now. The mornings were largely empty in the malls and the number of visitors may pick up later in the day.

Over the past few days all shopping malls in Kolkata and elsewhere in Bengal have been cleaned and sanitized thoroughly. Social distancing and precautions are strictly to be followed in malls, as per the directives of the Central and state governments. Wearing masks, using sanitisers before entering is also mandatory. Most mall authorities have asked visitors to not touch the railings along escalators and staircases. Infants and toddlers, apart from pregnant women, have been asked to avoid entering the malls. Security guards will have the discretion to deny entry to those who are not following the precautionary measures. There will also be thermal screening at the entry gates.

Shopping malls will continue to monitor the number of visitors at every given point of time – based on the entry and exit data from the gates. Based on this, security guards may be instructed to deny entry to visitors if there is over-crowding inside and the number exceeds what can be permitted.

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