The Westfield Valencia Town Center has scheduled its reopening for June 3 after a two-month closure due to the coronavirus pandemic, mall officials announced Wednesday.
The Valencia mall will reopen alongside centers in Culver City, Santa Anita and Topanga, with the Century City location opening first on Saturday.
The centers have set an in-store shopping schedule with modified hours from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. Monday through Saturday and noon to 6 p.m. on Sunday, according to a Westfield news release.
“We are very excited to welcome the Los Angeles community back to our centers,” Molly Unger, vice president of Shopping Center Management, said in a prepared statement. “As we take this next step towards recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic, our focus is on working with local officials to ensure a healthy, clean and safe environment for our customers, tenants and employees. We remain committed to providing the best experience possible as business begins to operate again.”
Among a series of health guidelines retail establishments must follow, county Public Health Director Barbara Ferrer said Wednesday malls and shopping centers can operate at 50% capacity in terms of customers to allow for physical distancing.
Additionally, malls will implement new practices focused on the health, safety, and convenience of all guests, as well as retailer and center employees, read the Westfield news release. Measures include:
- Increasing the frequency of cleaning measures following the Centers for Disease Control and local health department guidelines, with a focus on high-touch areas such as restrooms, play areas, dining areas and water fountains.
- Monitoring and controlling the number of guests entering the centers and crowds in dwell areas and queuing lines.
- Implementing and enforcing relevant policies related to social distancing, face masks and other preventative measures.
- Providing an increased number of hand sanitizer stations.
News of reopening comes just a day after Los Angeles County announced Tuesday evening that in-person shopping and houses of worship could once again open due to the county meeting the statewide criteria for a safe reopening and therefore could advance into Phase 3 of California’s roadmap to recovery.
On Wednesday, Ferrer said the public must still follow “three cardinal rules” as the county continues to reopen.
“Since any one of us could be positive for COVID-19 and not know it, we need to make sure that our respiratory droplets are not spread to others. And we do this by wearing a cloth face covering and by staying at least 6 feet away from other people,” she said, adding that people must quarantine for at least 10 days if one feels sick or tests positive for the virus and 14 days if one comes in contact with anyone diagnosed.
Mall officials said that the centers continue to work with select retailers and third-party operators to facilitate curbside pickup for easier and expedited purchases. Details can be found from individual retailers or through each center’s website.
