Delhi malls all set to welcome visitors in a new avatar

By Joymala Bagchi
New Delhi [India], June 7 : The malls in Delhi are prepared to offer visitors a whole new shopping experience with meticulous changes, specially crafted to cater to new norms in view of the coronavirus pandemic.
The new avatar of malls, however, has to be in complete alignment with the prescribed government guidelines to ensure their smooth functioning.
While complying with the government guidelines, malls are also coming up with unique ideas to ensure the absolute safety of the visitors.
The Select Citywalk offers disinfection tunnel, DLF Avenue Mall, Saket, will also sanitise the car. Moreover, many of the branded garments shops have suspended the services of trial room to be extra cautious.
Ansal Plaza, one of Delhi's first shopping malls, has prepared itself as per the latest government directives. A mall functionary told ANI: "While ensuring all guidelines such as maintaining adequate distance, automatic sanitising machines, we have also arranged PPE kits for our service providers at the entrance to help them stay safe. As a precautionary measure, we are also arranging COVID-19 safety kit."
A spokesperson of Select Citywalk told ANI: "We will have a disinfection tunnel at the entry of the premises, which each visitor needs to pass through. This tunnel is the first of its kind to be used in a shopping centre or mall."
"The tunnel uses mist-based sanitisation, which is efficient and also gentle for anyone who passes through it, with lower chlorine exposure. The expected walk though time is about eight seconds."
DLF Avenue Mall in Saket while aligning with all the SOPs issued by the Ministry of Health has also ensured that visitor, one by one, must stand on a mat soaked in sanitiser to ensure extra safety. Also, the cars entering the premise would get sanitised.
Trial rooms, for the time being, have also been suspended to avoid the hassles.
Gandhrav, store manager, Pantaloons in South Extension, told ANI: "Trial rooms have suspended because we do not want another point to manage which if opted out can decrease the spread of the virus."
"Moreover, wherever merchandise, accessories are getting exchanged, we are quarantining it for 36 hours. We have stepping points on which customers are required to stand. We are strictly following the guidelines issued by the government."
"We have kept sanitisers at every touchpoint. Whenever people are entering the premises, we are checking their temperature and who is above the set temperature is not permitted to enter," another store official from an international brand in Lajpat Nagar told ANI.
Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal in his latest press brief mentioned that all restaurants, malls and places of worship in the national capital will operate from tomorrow. However, hotels and banquet halls will remain closed.
The food courts should ensure the presence of only 50 per cent seating capacity. Adequate workforce and specific markings are to be made specifically to maintain social distancing.
India on Sunday reported the highest single-day spike of 9,971 more COVID-19 cases and 287 deaths in the past 24 hours.