JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – Simon Property Group, which operates the St. Johns Town Center, The Avenues, Prime Outlets at St. Augustine and a dozen other shopping centers in Florida will reopen on Monday, but follow a long list of safety protocols.
As phase one of Florida’s reopening begins, their malls will be open from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. Monday through Saturday and noon to 6 p.m. on Sunday to allow for enhanced sanitizing and disinfecting.
Simon said its safety protocols were reviewed and approved by experts in epidemiology and environmental health and safety to help prevent the spread of COVID-19 and provided an extensive list of safety protocols it would take to ensure the safety of employees and customers.
Simon said they want to maintain a one person per 50 square feet distance on the entire property, employees will be required to check their temperatures before coming to work and they will be screened when they arrive.
They said employees will wear face masks and are instructed to keep six feet apart from co-workers and shoppers when possible.
Enforcing social distancing can be a challenge in large shopping malls, so there are plans to limit the number of open entrances and use directional signage for traffic flow.
Shoppers are encouraged to wear masks while shopping and Simon said they will give free masks and sanitizing wipes to shoppers who request them.
Simon malls will also make free temperature testing available for shoppers.
Under the “Safe. Smart. Step-by-Step.” reopening plan Gov. Ron DeSantis announced Wednesday, retail stores and restaurants can reopen Monday but are limited to 25% capacity.
Simon closed its malls for 10 days on March 18 for 10 days, then extended that after DeSantis’ stay-at-home order closed non-essential businesses. The new order lifts that restriction at 12:01 a.m. May 4.
Orange Park Mall management told News4Jax it is deciding how soon it can ensure “a safe and enjoyable reopening experience” and expects to make an announcement soon.
“We are inspired by the resilience of our community and we look forward to safely welcoming back our guests,” marketing director Chelsea Commodari wrote.
Simon Properties listed details of its COVID-19 safety protocols
• Preemptive Employee Screening. Our employees, contractors and vendors will be required to screen themselves at home prior to coming to work. If they have a temperature exceeding 100.4 degrees or exhibit flu-like symptoms (e.g., cough, body aches), they will be required to stay home. Additionally, those exposed to COVID-19 will be required to quarantine at home until they are symptom free for at least 72 hours and satisfy other CDC requirements prior to returning to work. Similar temperature testing and health screenings in compliance with CDC guidelines will take place upon arrival at the property prior to working. All employees that fail the CDC-compliant health screening will be asked to return home. We recommend that tenants also implement these protocols
• Employee Safety Protections. Our employees will be trained in CDC COVID-19 safety guidelines, wear protective face masks while on property and be encouraged to frequently wash or otherwise sanitize their hands throughout the workday. They also will be instructed to maintain 6 feet of distance from fellow co-workers and shoppers whenever possible. We recommend that tenants, contractors and vendors also implement these protocols
• Promotion and Enforcement of Social Distancing. Several steps will be taken to encourage social distancing in our properties:
o Occupancy Limitations and Monitoring. We will utilize existing traffic measurement technologies at our properties to ensure that overall property occupancy does not exceed a targeted level of 1 person per 50 square feet of space. As needed, we will restrict the number of open entrances to the property while complying with local fire code requirements, and have queueing protocols in place to manage traffic. Each tenant will be responsible for managing to targets set by state or local authorities for their leased spaces
o Proactive Encouragement of Social Distancing Guidelines. Our employees and security officers will actively remind and encourage shoppers to maintain the proper distance from fellow shoppers and workers, and refrain from shopping in groups. Tenants should do the same within their leased spaces
o Furniture Redeployment to Support Social Distancing. Food court seating will be limited and spaced in a way to encourage social distancing. Additionally, no reusable customer service items will be available (e.g., trays, utensils, cups, etc.). Common area seating will also be reduced and reconfigured to support social distancing
o Temporary Closure of High-Interaction Areas. All play areas, stroller and valet stations and drinking fountains will be temporarily closed
o Coordinated Traffic Flow. Directional signage and floor decals will be deployed in the property to encourage better traffic flow, including at entrances and throughout the common area
o Restroom Spacing. In restrooms, every other sink and urinal will be taped off to encourage the proper spacing between individuals
o Deployment of Traffic Flow Signage and Social Distancing Markers. We will deploy directional signage and dividers to separate shoppers entering and exiting the property, as well as diners ordering and picking up food in the Food Court. We will also deploy social distancing markers where needed to manage queues (e.g., at food court counters) to maintain 6 feet of spacing
• Enhanced Sanitizing and Disinfecting. Each night, the common area of the property will be thoroughly sanitized and disinfected using products that meet or exceed CDC guidelines. Each retailer should do the same for their store. Additionally, during mall hours, we will regularly sanitize and disinfect high touchpoint areas, including restrooms, seating areas, escalator/stair handrails, trash bins, door knobs and handles, directories, food court tables and chairs, etc. Each tenant should perform the appropriate cleaning of their space
• Shopper Safeguards. In addition to the measures outlined above, we will also implement the following steps with respect to shoppers:
o Health Pre-Visit Screenings. Shoppers will be encouraged to take their temperatures and perform health checks prior to visiting our properties and to refrain from visiting the property if they exhibit any flu-like symptoms. Anyone exposed to COVID-19 will be expected to remain at home in quarantine until they are symptom free for at least 72 hours and satisfy other CDC requirements
o Individual Personal Protection. All shoppers will be encouraged to wear masks or facial coverings while shopping. They will also be encouraged to frequently wash or otherwise sanitize their hands while shopping, and we will make available sanitizing stations throughout the property. Additionally, we will also provide, free of charge, CDC-approved masks and individual sanitizing wipe packets to shoppers requesting them. Finally, we will make free temperature testing available to shoppers, using infrared thermometers
o Healthy Tips and Social Distancing Reminders. Signage will be deployed at all entrances and throughout the property reminding shoppers of their part in keeping everyone safe. Additionally, we will be making regular announcements over our audio system to remind shoppers of their part in maintaining a safe environment for everyone