Unlock 1.0 new rules to know: Shopping malls and places of worship across the country, barring states like Maharashtra and Goa, are ready to throw their doors open to people from today after remaining closed for nearly two and a half months due to the lockdown prompted by the COVID-19 pandemic. As per guidelines issued by the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA), malls, hotels, restaurants and places of worship can open from June 8 as part of phase I of the “unlockdown”.
Among the specific guidelines, the most important ones are staggered entry of visitors and thermal screening at malls. Apart from that, users will have to use face cover or masks which should be worn at all times inside.
As a common SOP, the government has said that persons above 65 years of age, persons with co-morbidities, pregnant women are advised to stay at home, except for essential and health purposes. For all the establishments, the government has recommended ensuring proper social distancing and disinfection of spaces and wearing masks. “Installation & use of Aarogya Setu App shall be advised to all,” it added.
Besides coming up with their lists of dos and don’ts for the people, authorities have ensured that premises of religious places, restaurants, malls have been cleaned and provisions for adherence to social distancing and other protocols being made.
Here are major rules to follow when entering malls:
1) Entrance to have mandatory hand hygiene (sanitizer dispenser) and thermal screening provisions.
2) Only asymptomatic customers/visitors shall be allowed.
3) All workers/customers/visitors to be allowed entry only if using face cover/masks. The face cover/masks has to be worn at all times inside the shopping mall.
4) Posters/standees/AV media on preventive measures about COVID-19 to be displayed prominently.
5) Staggering of visitors to be done, if possible.
6) Adequate manpower shall be deployed by mall management for ensuring social distancing norms.
7) All employees who are at higher risk i.e. older employees, pregnant employees and employees who have underlying medical conditions, to take extra precautions. They should preferably not be exposed to any front-line work requiring direct contact with the public. Shopping mall management to facilitate work from home wherever feasible.
8) Proper crowd management in the parking lots and outside the premises – duly following social distancing norms shall be ensured.
9) Valet parking, if available, shall be operational with operating staff wearing face covers/ masks and gloves as appropriate. Proper disinfection of steering, door handles, keys, etc. of the vehicles should be taken up.
10) Any shops, stalls, cafeteria etc., outside and within the premises shall follow social distancing norms at all times.
11) Specific markings may be made with sufficient distance to manage the queue and ensure social distancing in the premises.
12) Preferably separate entry and exits for visitors, workers and goods/supplies shall be organized.
13) The staff for home deliveries shall be screened thermally by the shopping mall authorities prior to allowing home deliveries.
14) Required precautions while handling supplies, inventories and goods in the shopping mall shall be ensured. Proper queue management and disinfection shall be organized.
15) Maintaining physical distancing of a minimum of 6 feet, when queuing up for entry and inside the shopping mall as far as feasible.
16) The number of customers inside the shop to be kept at a minimum, so as to maintain the physical distancing norms.
17) Seating arrangement, if any, to be made in such a way that adequate social distancing is maintained.
18) The number of people in the elevators shall be restricted, duly maintaining social distancing norms.
19) The use of escalators with one person on alternate steps may be encouraged.
20) For air-conditioning/ventilation, the guidelines of CPWD shall be followed which emphasizesn that the temperature setting of all air conditioning devices should be in the range of 24-30 o C, relative humidity should be in the range of 40-70%, intake of fresh air should be as much as possible and cross ventilation should be adequate.
