Pharmacy Daily | Retailers set out post-COVID protocol

RETAIL groups, including the Pharmacy Guild of Australia, have come together to release a Retail Recovery for COVID-19 protocol aimed to support the reopening of more stores as restrictions are eased in the coming weeks.

Developed by the Guild, the Shopping Centre Council of Australia (SCCA), National Retail Association (NRA), Shop Distributive and Allied Employees Association (SDA) and the Australian Retailers' Association (ARA), to give employees and customers confidence that retail environments will continue to follow stringent public health guidelines in a less restricted environment.

Guild National President, George Tambassis, said the organisation would, "continue to work closely with the shopping centre industry to ensure a united and collaborative approach".

The new protocol outlines a series of steps retailers can take including:

Making alcohol-based hand sanitiser available at key locations such as store entrances, building entrances, customer service desks and food courts,

Frequent cleaning and disinfecting of regularly used objects and hard surfaces (e.g. payment registers, EFTPOS machines, hand-rails, bathroom door handles, shelves, shopping trolleys, counters and benches, food-court tables, staff-rooms) and other key hygiene measures (e.g. waste disposal).

Facilitating and encouraging social distancing and public gathering limits in accordance with Government directions, which is currently a distance of 1.5m and a limit of no more than one person per 4m2 in stores. Actions could include signage 'reminders', one-way queueing, ground markings (e.g. stickers or tape) for customer queues.

Daily check-ins with staff on their well-being, ensuring staff and contractors are properly trained and have access to relevant information and personal protective equipment (PPE).

The coalition of retailers has also issued a call for the public to treat retail workers with respect while they continue to service and ensure the community has access to essential and other retail goods and services.