Singapore will begin the first phase of circuit breaker relaxation measures tomorrow and Singapore’s largest mall operator CapitaLand, is getting ready to keep staff, tenants, and customers safe.

To make it easier for their staff to create a safe environment, beyond the mandatory wearing of face masks and temperature taking, they have turned to technology to lend a hand.

Turning to technology

Some of the solutions include treating high contact areas in all CapitaLand malls including lifts and lift buttons, door entrance buttons, handrails, touch screens, toilet cubicles and basins, family rooms and customer service counters with an anti-microbial disinfectant.

Disinfection floormats will be used to clean shoppers’ soles when they step on them. Thereafter, shoppers can dry their soles by stepping onto a runner mat.

The floormats will be placed at key entrances and they will be changed out and cleaned twice daily.

Using technology researched and developed in Singapore, these treated surfaces can guard against bacteria and virus for up to six months, compared with general cleaning and disinfection which is effective only at the point of application.

Staff will continue to clean and disinfect all high contact touchpoints at a stepped-up frequency of once every two to three hours.

Other automated solutions will also be used.

Autonomous UV disinfection robots will be introduced at the basement floors and level one of Tampines Mall and Bukit Panjang Plaza after mall operating hours to conduct daily disinfection of high shopper traffic floors.

They will be progressively rolled out at other CapitaLand malls and will complement the usual daily disinfection routines carried out by cleaning crews.

All lift cars in CapitaLand malls will be installed with a PhotoPlasma air disinfection system from June 2020 onwards.

This technology will energise atmospheric air into a plasma state, eliminating air-borne and surface microorganisms such as virus and bacteria. The PhotoPlasma air disinfection system in lift cars will be complemented by anti-microbial coating and general cleaning procedures to disinfect lift surfaces.

Measures taken so far

Most measures thus far have revolved around reducing the number of infections by keeping people home or masked . Local businesses and telcos in Singapore have contributed their time and efforts to this as well.

As we exit the circuit breaker period, the use of technology to keep Covid-19 at bay may soon become the “new normal”.

Chris Chong, Managing Director, Retail, CapitaLand Singapore, said: "With precautionary measures in place, we create a safe environment to welcome the community back to our malls upon the gradual easing of Singapore’s circuit breaker."

This article was first published in Hardware Zone.