BHUBANESWAR: The Bhubaneswar Municipal Corporation (BMC) on Saturday allowed reopening of malls in the State Capital during Unlock 3 and issued a standard operating procedures (SOP) to this effect. The civic body, however, clarified that food courts, eateries, gaming zones, children playing areas, cinema halls and entertainment zones in malls will continue to remain closed. Promotional activities and events on the mall premises have also been prohibited.
Use of masks, social distancing and hand hygiene are must for all visitors and staff members. The temperature setting of the central air conditioner should be kept between 24 and 30 degree Celsius, while humidity should be in the range of 40 to 70 per cent. At the mall’s entrance, thermal screening of the visitors as well as the staff members will be conducted.
Visitors showing no symptoms of flu will only be allowed to enter the mall, the SOP stated. Separate arrangements will have to be made for entry and exit of visitors and customers. It has also asked the mall authorities to designate a separate room-preferably outside the mall, which could be used for isolating persons with SARI symptoms.
In case a suspect is found inside the mall, the person concerned will be asked to move to an isolated area marked for the purpose after which the mall officials will contact BMC officials for his/her immediate shifting. Besides, the mall owners have been asked to depute an employee as Covid Compliance Officer in order to enforce all Covid 19 protocols. These officers will be notified by BMC as authorised officers for collection of fines from persons found spitting.
Shun customers violating norms: BMC
The BMC has asked all shopkeepers in its jurisdiction not to entertain customers without wearing masks or maintaining safe distance in market areas. Municipal Commissioner Prem Chandra Chaudhary also asked the shopkeepers to follow the Covid-19 guidelines strictly and encourage customers to go for online order and digital transactions.
“There will be strict enforcement and heavy penalty on roadside eateries and fast food shops if they don’t discourage people eating on streets,” Chaudhary warned and said takeaways should be encouraged instead of dine-in. As per BMC’s direction, all shopkeepers will have to mark circles at two metre gap in front of their shops to ensure social distancing among customers. Unit-I market president Gayadhara Swain said they have decided to follow ‘No masks and social distancing, no goods’ policy to help the administration.