Jem and Westgate see muted reopening with fewer shoppers, Latest Singapore News - The New Paper
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Jem and Westgate see muted reopening with fewer shoppers

This article is more than 12 months old

Those who did show up felt safe as malls were thoroughly disinfected after closure from Covid cluster

Westgate and Jem experienced a quiet reopening yesterday after a mandatory two-week closure.

The malls had been closed since May 23 for deep cleaning after being linked to a cluster of Covid-19 infections that numbered 63 as of Saturday.

The New Paper observed little footfall at the two malls from 10am to 2pm yesterday, despite it being a Sunday.

A worker at Don Don Donki, a Japanese supermarket at Jem, said Sundays usually drew a big crowd, but the company had expected a quiet turnout because people would understandably be a little nervous visiting the two malls.

The shoppers that did turn up felt the malls were safe as they had been disinfected thoroughly. Some turned up early to go to Ikea at Jem, with around 10 people forming a queue outside the Swedish furniture retailer before it opened at 10am.

Mr Joseph Mok, 41, who works in the marine sector, needed to buy an item that was "out of stock" at the other two Ikea outlets and joined the queue 10 minutes before the store opened.

He said: "I feel the malls would have done the necessary cleaning. I expected that there would be fewer people and that is why I came."

Ms Quinn Song, 19, who was also in the queue, said: "It is safer for me to shop here now that I have been vaccinated."

Game arcade Timezone at Westgate was extremely quiet, with hardly an occupied game station when TNP dropped in yesterday.

Staff were spotted cleaning the surfaces of the few machines that were used.

One Timezone regular who did turn up was 21-year-old Jerome Kwan, who said he missed playing there.

Mr Kwan, who is doing his national service, told TNP: "I have been monitoring the number of community cases closely and felt it is safe to return now that the numbers are dropping."

Ms S.D. Ng, 31, who works in the finance sector, was a regular at both malls, but she is staying away for now.

Ms Ng, who went for a swab test after visiting the malls on May 12, said: "I don't want to risk another swab test in case of another outbreak and go through another anxiety-inducing process when we wait for the results."

A spokesman for Westgate said the mall has ramped up its cleaning protocols and precautionary measures as part of the reopening.

The cleaning crew at Westgate will also be equipped with appropriate personal protection gear and will work under a split team arrangement, he added.

Ms Jenny Khoo, head of asset operations at Lendlease, which manages Jem, told TNP that the premises had undergone deep cleaning and had been thoroughly disinfected.

She added: "Lendlease has offered rental assistance to retailers at Jem for the two weeks' temporary closure.

"Marketing support such as delivery tie-ups and extended vehicle grace period, in-app promotions, digital campaigns with support in absorbing commission fees, will be in place upon reopening to further assist retailers with online sales."

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