Malls gird to reopen under modified quarantine

Some malls are gearing up for the reopening of more establishments once Metro Manila shifts to a modified enhanced community quarantine (MECQ) starting Saturday, May 16.

According to a 24 Oras report by Tina Panganiban Perez on Thursday, the Robinson’s Mall Magnolia has already installed UV sterilizers on the handrails of its escalators.

“We have installed the UV Care sterilizer for our handrail. Also for the elevator, we installed diffusers for the elevator passengers,” operations manager Rowell Venzon said.

Only four passengers, including the operator, will be allowed to enter the elevator at a time, Venzon added.

Several posters and stickers reminding shoppers about social distancing have also been put in place.

Shoppers who are not wearing masks and do not pass the temperature check will also not be allowed to enter the mall.

“Some tenants are open for the essentials. For the MECQ, the barber shop, the salon, are not allowed,” Venzon said.

“Our airconditioning, when we open, it will be controlled temperature at 26 degrees,” he added.

The government’s COVID-19 task force earlier mandated malls to keep airconditioning temperatures higher than usual to prevent the public from loitering inside.

Venzon also said that a sanitation team will disinfect high-touch areas every hour.

In other malls, foot baths have also been placed at the entrance while hand sanitizer dispensers have been scattered across the establishment. —Julia Mari Ornedo/LDF, GMA News