The Prairie Mall says it will almost be business as usual amidst the COVID-19 pandemic, with the power of hours of operations being left primarily to store ownership.
“We are giving tenants the choice if they want to reduce their hours; they’re free to do that for the time being,” says Prairie Mall General Manager Lionel Frey. “Some stores have decided to reduce their hours and we’re certainly respecting that.”
Frey says the full-time cleaning staff hired by the organization has been stellar in its work, and those who continue to travel to the mall shouldn’t be weighed down by worry.
“Certainly nothing for the public to be concerned about, as we are following all protocols; it’s just in a time like this you have to make sure not only are you doing it, but you are communicating to the public that they’re really safe.”
While gatherings of 250 people or more are currently a restriction put in place by the federal and provincial governments, Frey says it’s not something they’re concerned about, as the sheer size of the facility negates the likelihood of that many people in a compact area.
“We really haven’t seen any clustering of people, and frankly we never do other than the Christmas season when it’s really busy.”
Until further notice, stores which have chosen to slash hours will now be operating from 11 a.m.- 6 p.m Monday through Wednesday and Saturday, 11 a.m. – 7 p.m. Tuesday and Friday, and noon – 5 p.m. on Sunday. Some stores have also announced their closure.
For information on what stores may be affected, it’s suggested to reach out to the shop over the phone to find out updated hours of operation.
