The Superintendent of Public Health has reviewed the mandatory conditions for the re-opening of non-essential retail outlets, under the Public Health Act, Chapter 465 of the Laws of Malta.
All retail outlets shall implement the following measures:
- owners can exercise the right of refusal of access to the premises to clients who are visibly unwell or present respiratory symptoms;
- ensure that a minimum distance of 2 metres is kept between customers;
- Ensure that the maximum shop capacity of one person per 10 square metres is respected;
- only one customer and one shop attendant are are allowed at any one time inside shops having a total area less than 10 square metres;
- ensure that both customers and shop attendants are wearing masks or visors;
- keep changing rooms closed;
- affix signs at the shop’s entrance indicating its maximum capacity;
- mark the 2 metres distance to be kept when queuing for services;
- ensure that vulnerable persons as defined by the Protection of Vulnerable Persons Order, 2020 do not enter the non-essential retail outlets;
- provide an appropriate 70% alcohol hand-rub at the entrance of the shop and ensure that all persons sanitise their hands prior to entrance;
- ensure that no items which come into direct contact either with the body or with underwear are tried at the shop prior to purchase;
- refuse exchanges of any purchased underwear items. If exchanges of purchased items (except underwear items) are accepted, ensure that any returned items are left untouched and safely stored for at least 72 hours, prior to being offered again for purchase by costumers. a. ensure that the general measures listed above are being implemented by every shop in the shopping mall.
All shopping malls shall implement the following measures:
- regulate entrance into the shopping mall adopting crowd management techniques as necessary;
- ensure that the maximum number of customers inside the shopping mall at any one time does not exceed the sum total of the maximum capacity of each shop inside the mall, excluding staff, as determined by Articles (2)(c) and (2)(d) above
- affix visible signage at the entrance of the shopping mall indicating the maximum capacity that the shopping mall can hold at any one time;
- indicate with visible markings outside the entrance of the shopping mall 2 metre distances that customers shall respect whilst queueing at the entrance. The collaboration of Local Councils shall be sought, where applicable;
- customers shall be subject to temperature checks at entrance for the presence of fever and those with a temperature of 37.2o Celsius or higher shall be denied entrance;
- provide an appropriate 70% alcohol hand-rub at the entrance of the shopping mall and ensure that all persons sanitise their hands prior to entrance;
- ensure that customers and staff always wear a face mask or visor whilst inside the shopping mall;
- ensure that any restaurants, cafes, children play areas remain closed;
- ensure that no events are held inside the shopping mall or any of its shops; and
- provide ongoing sterilisation operations of all the common areas inside the shopping mall;
- ensure that measures are taken so that seating is not permitted in common areas.
