Coronavirus: Saudi Arabia sets guidelines for malls, industrial sector, as it reopens
Saudi Arabia started on Thursday the first phase of its re-opening as part of the government’s coronavirus strategy.
The Kingdom shortened curfew and allowed the resumption of some economic activities, and from May 31 it will allow the resumption of Friday and group prayers in mosques, the return of public and private employees to work from their offices, the resumption of dine-in services in restaurants and cafes, the operation of domestic flights.
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Eventually, starting from June 21, Saudi Arabia will return to “normalcy”, except for Mecca, and restore conditions to how life was before implementing coronavirus curfews.
Here are the COVID-19 precautionary guidelines the Kingdom put in place in shops, malls, residential and commercial buildings, labor housing, and facilities in the commercial and industrial sectors:
Shops and malls:
Number of customers in a store limited to one per 10 square meters.
All customers and employees must wear face masks at all times and practice social distancing.
Offer sanitizers to customers before and after using shopping carts and ensure sanitizers are available at all sale points to be used by customers and employees.
Allow customers one companion only when they enter a shop and not allow entry of groups or families of more than two people.
Ban entry of children under the age of 15 and seniors.
Measure the temperature of customers and employees before entering a store and banning the entry of those with temperatures higher than 38 degree Celsius.
Staggering breaks, arrival and departure times to reduce interaction.
Avoid using cash to make payments and encourage online or mobile or card payments.
Ban offering food samples and trying on perfumes and make up products.
Ban sales and promotions.
Close all common seating areas, such as smoking rooms, entertainment and games areas, and hallway benches.
Close clothes trial rooms.
Ban car valet service.
Capacity of car parking lots should be limited to 50 percent.
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Labor housing:
Providing adequate housing for labor workers in the construction and contracting sector that ensures the availability of 12 square meters of space.
Providing an isolation room for any suspected coronavirus cases.
Banning workers from moving between rooms.
Reduce interaction of groups of workers in different residential areas.
Assign a supervisor for each residence to monitor the adherence to social distancing, closure of common areas, and banning socializing activities.
Ban entry of all unauthorized visitors to the residence.
Ban sharing of eating utensils, cutlery and other tools used daily.
Install alarm systems to remind workers to wash their hands every thirty minutes and to provide handwashing stations.
Conduct temperature checks for everyone entering or leaving labor residences.
Increase sanitization operations and assigning a cleaner to sanitize washrooms after every use.
Ensure social distancing between workers: two square meters for every worker while working outside and one worker per four square meters inside, and if not possible, then reducing the time allotted for work activities and ensuring workers wear protective gear.
Sanitization of transport methods after every trip.
Read: Coronavirus: Discover which curfew movement permits are available in Saudi Arabia
Residential and commercial buildings:
Assign a manager for COVID-19 protocols or security team at entrances to conduct employee checks.
Allocate one entrance for employees to re-enforce supervision of flow of entry and facilitate checks.
Temperature checks for employees and banning the entry of those with temperatures higher than 38 degree Celsius.
Allocate one elevator (service elevator) for construction and maintenance workers and ban residents from using it.
Ban entry of construction workers in open areas of residential buildings such as car parking lots, swimming pools, gyms, etc.
Assigning cleaners to sanitize frequently touched surfaces in buildings.
Postponing in any maintenance of central systems in both residential and commercial buildings, which can affect the quality of ventilation and air-conditioning.
Construction sector:
Install high quality air purifiers for construction field sites.
Ensure adequate ventilation in construction sites and closed maintenance sites.
Ban entry to the work site of anyone whose temperature is higher than 38 degree Celsius.
All employees must wear personal protective gear at all times, including face masks.
Limit the movement between work sites.
Ban entry of all non-essential individuals to work sites.
Rearranging workstations at sites to reduce crowding.
Sanitizers must be used before entering or exiting lifts or cranes.
Opening indoor cafeterias only during bad weather conditions (such as hot summer days).
Staggering breaks, arrival and departure times to reduce interaction.
Ban individuals from staying overnight in construction and maintenance sites.
Facilities of industrial and mining entities:
Ban entry of all non-essential individuals to work sites.
Limit the number of individuals who can attend meetings and gatherings.
Ensuring social distancing (two meters distance between every two people).
Limit capacity of vehicles to 50 percent and regularly sanitizing them.
Allocate sperate entry and exit points.
Allocate stations for employee checks before entry.
Ban entry of all unauthorized individuals to the facility.
Staggering breaks, arrival and departure times to ensure they are separated by 10 minute intervals.
Set the maximum number of individuals allowed in each facility inside factories, such that there is no more than one person per four meters.
Offer sanitizers at every point of entry and in common areas.
Sanitize surfaces and machinery at least twice a day.
Remove commonly touched objects, such as fingerprint scanners for checking into work.
Ban entry of anyone whose temperature is higher than 38 degree Celsius.
Rearranging workstations in facilities to ensure a distance of at least two meters between each two workers.
Sanitizing all cargo transport vehicles before any trip.
Install alarm systems to remind workers to wash their hands every thirty minutes and to provide handwashing stations.
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Read more:
Coronavirus: Saudi Arabia to ease restrictions, restart business, return to ‘normal’
Saudi Arabia to start next phase of coronavirus strategy based on 2 pillars: Minister
Saudi Arabia’s measures to combat coronavirus since February: A timeline
Coronavirus: How to use Saudi Arabia’s ‘Tawakkalna’ app to get movement permits
