Shopping malls like JEM and Westgate were ordered by the Ministry of Health to close for two weeks to curb the spread of COVID-19 after several shoppers there had tested positive. In an interview with Channel 8, Asst Prof Vincent Pang, Director, Centre for Infectious Disease Epidemiology & Research, looks at how we can avoid the spread of the coronavirus in shopping malls.
As the virus can be transmitted through direct contact with respiratory droplets of an infected person or touching of contaminated surfaces, Dr Pang identified lifts, lobbies, toilets and escalators as higher risk areas within malls due to the high human traffic at these places.
To mitigate the risk of transmission, Dr Pang advises the public to only go shopping when necessary and he recommends mall owners to improve building ventilation and air quality by using air purifiers, controlling malls’ capacity limit, and increasing the frequency of cleaning at high-touch areas.
Watch the full interview here:
- 加强公共卫生抗冠病, 狮城有约 | 十分访谈, Channel 8, 26 May 2021