Multi-managed polish shopping centres awarded safety certificate and ready to reopen

The shopping centres that have received sanitary safety certificates are: Forum Gdańsk, Magnolia Park in Wrocław, 3 Stawy in Katowice, Galeria Pestka in Poznań, Sarni Stok in Bielsko-Biała and Ferio Konin. Special SafeGuard badges have already appeared at the entrances to these centres, confirming that they meet the highest hygiene standards, and that selected surfaces have been tested for signs of COVID-19 with negative results. 

“Safety in the shopping centre is of fundamental importance today for customers. We learned this from the first spring lockdown”, says Magdalena Gibney, Operational Director of Multi Poland. “This is why our priority is to provide our clients with the highest sanitary standards. It is all the more important as our shopping centres will return to full operations at the end of November, the hottest commercial period of the year. We want our customers to return to shopping even faster than they did in the spring thanks to the safety of our centres.” 

The comprehensive assessment of compliance with sanitary and legal requirements consisted of: a review of the list of requirements, guidelines and good practices prepared by Bureau Veritas; the assessment of operating procedures and the level of their implementation by Multi as a manager; an independent audit (the assessment of the shopping centres in the form of inspections carried out even before the current partial closure); and laboratory tests for the presence of COVID-19. 

“Our qualified auditors have carried out a detailed assessment of hygiene procedures and practices at the Multi-managed shopping centres in accordance with SafeGuard requirements”, explains Joanna Waberska, Bureau Veritas Poland auditor and expert. “The World Health Organization indicates that there are two main ways COVID-19 can be transmitted: inhalation and contact. It is worth noting that when an infected person coughs or sneezes, respiratory droplets can settle on surfaces such as door handles, handrails and other surfaces, communal appliances, toilets, elevators and reception desks. This is why we collected swabs from these surfaces and tested them using genetic RT-PCR tests in a specialised laboratory, for additional confirmation of the effectiveness of hygiene procedures. The test results were negative, which confirms rigorous compliance with the procedures at Multi’s Polish centres.”