Mumbai: In the wake of the Covid-19 outbreak, shopping malls and eateries in the financial capital have become proactive and started to take preventive measures to avoid the dreaded global pandemic.
Shopping malls have almost become ‘ghost towns’ with a sharp decline in footfall, the Andheri (W) Infinity mall, which records a footfall of 30,000 regularly on weekdays and 50,000 on weekends claimed to have recorded less than 10,000 visitors in two days.
As a preventive measure, the mall authorities have initiated awareness drive in the mall. At Infiniti Mall (Malad), the administration has put up posters and banners citing precautionary measures and informing Mumbaikars of the importance of sanitation.
Security guards wore face masks and gloves while frisking the visitors in some of the malls in suburban Mumbai.
“Sanitation drives have been increased drastically at the food court premises and washrooms. The staff is initiating cleaning drives more often than usual.
The administration has also instructed its staffs to wear masks and follow every necessary precautionary step to avoid infection,” said a senior administrative employee of Infinity Mall, Malad. “All the staff members in our mall are instructed to wear masks during their shift,” said Jeetu Desai a staff at Inorbit Mall, Malad.
Since the pandemic outbreak, Mumbaikars have been preferring to dine at home. Restaurants and food joints have reported a dip in the business. Vendors at the food-court informed Mumbaikars are preferring to eat food at their homes rather than having it at a public place.
“Ever since the outbreak, hardly anyone is eating out as Mumbaikars are now preferring to take away their food,” said Sanjay Lal, a food retailer at Inorbit, Malad.
Restauranteurs informed they have increased sanitation methods on the premises.
“As food sellers, we are providing a pouch of hand soap to those eating at the court. We are not allowing anyone inside the kitchen without masks or gloves,” said Imtiaz Sheikh, an owner of a popular Andheri, food joint.
Multiplexes have recorded a dip in ticket sale.
