Malls ordered to limit aircon, stop free wifi and sale events

Mall operators were ordered to limit their air conditioning, shut down free wifi connections, and stop sale events to discourage the public from leaving their homes given the threat of the coronavirus disease 2019.

With the easing of lockdown restrictions paving the way for more businesses to open, the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) issued Memorandum Circular 20-21.

Issued on May 4, the MC covers guidelines that would apply to malls and shopping centers, and establishments inside them that were allowed to operate under a general community quarantine (GCQ).

The guidelines included:

• Limiting the number of people inside the mall or shopping center or inside an individual store to a density of not more than one person per 2 square meters;
• Entry of people limited to the carrying capacity, computed as the total square meters of vacant walkable space divide by two;
• Reduce the number of open mall entrances to better manage foot traffic;
• Senior citizens, pregnant women, and persons with disabilities (PWDs) obtaining essential goods are allowed only one companion;
• Social distancing of 1 meter apart at all times;
• Assigning personnel to regulate foot traffic in high-density areas such as comfort rooms, supermarkets;
• Customers must stand on every other step of the escalator;
• Limiting access to elevators to senior citizens, PWDs, and pregnant women and to only half of the original standard capacity of the unit;
• Marking or reducing the seats available for customers to use while waiting;
• Creating a one-way flow where possible to decongest queues and facilitate movement;
• Increasing police visibility, should there be a need to enforce strict physical distancing;
• Assigning a centralized pickup location for stores with delivery/pickup service where delivery service providers can pick up goods;
• Regulating airconditioning inside the mall to 26 degrees centigrade;
• Turning off free wifi for customers;
• Suspending the conduct of sale events, marketing events, and other promotions;
• Implementing other measures that mall and shopping center operators may find necessary.

"Ito na 'yung new set of protocols that we will need to follow and currently we are making sure that all our mall owners comply with these regulations," Trade Undersecretary Ruth Castelo said in a press conference on Sunday.

"It's very simple actually to follow and to comply with, but this actually has to be really followed also by our mall-goers kasi this is the new discipline that we all need to have para masiguarado na hindi naman masayang ang effort ng DOH sa pag-control ng virus," she added.

The country's biggest mall operators such as the Ayala Malls, the Megaworld Lifestyle Malls, and SM Supermalls earlier announced similar security and health measures. — DVM, GMA News