Shopping centres managed by Sonae Sierra minimise the risk of transmission of COVID-19

Shopping centres managed by Sonae Sierra minimise the risk of transmission of COVID-19

Lisbon, 4th June, 2020

The shopping centres managed by Sonae Sierra reduce the risk of contagion of the new coronavirus, as confirmed by the risk assessment company Lloyd’s Register.

The auditor has concluded that the structure and planning of Sonae Sierra’s integrated Safety, Health and Environment Management System, which is applied in all the centres managed by the company, comply with the specific requirements of the OHSAS 18001:2007 safety and health certification in connection with the legal and regulatory standards to contain the SARS-CoV-2 (COVID-19) pandemic.

In this respect, Fernando Guedes de Oliveira, CEO of Sonae Sierra, points out that “the safety and wellbeing of our visitors, tenants, suppliers and employees has always been our priority. Even before this unprecedented health crisis, we were prepared to respond to situations of a pandemic. This audit has shown that the shopping centres that we manage apply all measures that are necessary to prevent the spread of this new virus.”

Reopening the shopping centres

During the most critical phases of the confinement in each country, the shopping centres managed by Sonae Sierra remained opened to allow the population to access necessary essential goods and services. These same centres are at present operating normally, or in some cases, are getting ready to do so, in compliance with the COVID-19 prevention and contention measures determined by the authorities in each territory.  In addition to said measures, the shopping centres have adopted others as needed, including:

• The installation of disinfecting gel dispensers at the entrance to the centres and in areas with the highest traffic, such as toilets and lifts.

• Installation of automatic handrail disinfection equipment on the centre’s escalators, enabling visitors use them in a safe and continuous manner.

• Reinforcement of the cleaning and maintenance teams to ensure the proper hygiene and disinfection of all the areas, in particular the ones used most. All the service provider personnel have proper personal protection equipment, such as face masks and gloves.

• Reinforcement of the cleaning procedures of the ventilation and air conditioning systems. Said systems renew the air inside the centres every 10 minutes.

• Permanent surveillance team at each entrance to the shopping centre to control the number of visitors entering and ensure that they all comply with the obligatory use of a face mask, inviting them to disinfect their hands with gel and informing them of the rules of conduct to be followed inside the centre.

• Placing signs and broadcasting messages through the centre’s PA system regarding good conduct practices to be followed by visitors, with special emphasis on the need to comply with the social distancing requirements established by the authorities (2 metres).

• Designing a new flow of individual circulation or mobility to maintain recommended social distancing.

• Support tenants to enable them to reopen their shops in compliance with all guidelines established by the authorities.