Several OC Malls Reopen Tuesday To In-Store Shoppers
BREA (CBSLA) – After being shuttered since mid-March, three malls in Orange County reopened their doors for the first time Tuesday for in-store shoppers.
The Brea Mall, the Outlets at Orange and The Shops at Mission Viejo opened at 11 a.m. with new safety measures in place.
All three are operated by Simon Property Group, which is requiring employees to have their temperatures taken before they can work, wear face coverings at all times and keep their work stations six feet apart.
The mall capacity has been lowered to avoid crowding and shoppers will be urged to social distancing. Seating in food areas has also been reduced and spaced out.
Simon Property also reopened its Ontario Mills shopping center in San Bernardino County.
Meanwhile, South Coast Plaza in Costa Mesa announced over the weekend that it will reopen for in-store shopping on June 1. Its stores are currently open for curbside pickup only.
On Monday, the California Department of Public Health announced it was allowing retailers to reopen for in-store shopping. However, that is subject to approval by individual counties.
The Orange County Board of Supervisors Saturday reported that the state had approved the county's plan for an accelerated reopening process because it meant certain benchmarks in controlling the spread of the coronavirus.
California Gov. Gavin Newsom gave approval to allowing O.C. to reopen restaurants for in-person dining and retailers for in-person shopping, along with the reopening of offices and manufacturing businesses.
California is currently in phase two of Gov. Gavin Newsom's four-phase reopening plan. All retailers and restaurants have already been allowed to reopen for curbside pickup. In L.A. pet grooming businesses and car washes were also allowed to reopen last week. Most beaches, golf courses and trails have reopened.
Hair and nail salons, however, remain closed, and have petitioned officials to allow them to reopen. They fall under stage three of Newsom's plan, which also includes gyms, movie theaters and sporting venues without fans.
