Does shopping centers control work or it is just a disaster in the making

The new regulations on social distancing kicks in today.



Included in the regulation are the need for Safe Distancing in Shopping Center

The guidelines are as follow for shopping centers

• Limit the number of customers and other individuals within the premises to the prescribed threshold for such premises

• Customers and other individuals within the premises do not internationally gather in group of more than 10 individuals within the premises

• A distance of 1 meter between individuals in the group

• Where 2 or more groups of customers or individuals, there is a distance of at least 1 meter

THE REAL TEST


Source: Singapore Atrium Sale FB Page
While the traffic inside the mall is kept to a level ideal for Social Distancing, there is a bottleneck occurring in almost every mall.

Malls have only set one entry and exit point, thereby clustering everyone into one space.

Here is an example ( credits to Singapore Atrium Sale FB Page)

From the looks of it, the setup is NOT working. In fact, with the clustering of crowds at the entrance waiting to get in, it may form a potential disaster. The crowd is mostly due to the wait to enter the shopping centers and the result of the need to fill in declaration forms.

For more incredulous scenes of the mall traffic, head to Singapore Atrium Sale FB page for updates



PENALTY
Moreover, 1-meter guideline is clearly not observed. From today onwards, those caught intentionally flouting the rule would be liable to a fine of $10000 and/or imprisonment

SOLUTION

• Have more than 1 entry point to manage the crowd
• Ensure queues are orderly and in line with the new guidelines of 1 m distancing
• For shoppers, if you see a crowd, please DO NOT join them. Postpone your visit for another day

If the situation persists, it is most likely that shopping malls will be next on the list of shutdowns. For those who insist on being in the queue, they are no different from the party people that had swamped the nightclubs the night before. The very same people who criticise the latter group are probably in the queue right now.

For this weekend. We propose to #Stayhome instead.