Governor Laura Kelly did not specifically address shopping malls Thursday night during her briefing on plans to reopen the state, but when malls in Wichita do reopen, you can expect the shopping experience to come with some changes.
When Towne West Square opens its doors, mall management said employees and shoppers will be handed masks and security guards will monitor crowds to make sure social distancing is maintained throughout the mall.
“If there is an area where gatherings are getting too crowded they will disperse,” said Mike Kohan, managing partner of Towne West Square.
At Towne East Square, management was not available for comment but Simon Property Group which owns it released a list of safety protocols on its website. The company says it plans on limiting the number of shoppers to one person per 50 square feet and employees will be required to screen themselves before coming to work.
Both malls will sanitize more frequently and move to limited hours.
“So we are going to make a 100 percent effort to make sure everybody’s safe and all the protocols for COVID-19 are going to be followed,” said Kohan.
Kohan said he will reach out to Governor Kelly’s office to get more direction on when malls can reopen under the new guidelines for the state.