Keeping a bridle on the bustle

The operators of Palmerston North malls are reassuring customers that social distancing restrictions are being checked and enforced, amid concerns some shoppers are flouting the rules.

Palmerston North’s inner city burst back into life when the government eased coronavirus restrictions to alert level 2 last Thursday.

The Plaza and Downtown on Broadway shopping centres have fully reopened, with managers praising shoppers adherence to queue-spacing markers and other health precautions.

However, more than 30 people raised concerns that shoppers were not following social distancing guidelines following a Manawatu¯ Standard Facebook post on alert level 2 trading.

Facebook user Kristy Rogers said there were a worrying number of people completely ignoring the two-metre social distancing rule when she was at The Plaza on Thursday.

‘‘My 11-year-old didn’t want to go in because it was so crazy. It was very disheartening.’’

Poppy Clapperton feared the country was headed for a new lockdown if people continued to be so blase.

Plaza centre manager Andrew Heaphy said the mall was keeping an eye on how close shoppers were getting to each other, alongside other precautions such as reducing seating in the food court and free parking so no-one had to touch the paystations.

The Plaza had not received any complaints about people getting too close, he said. ‘‘We were apprehensive and uncertain about what was going to happen with this. But we’ve been blown away by people’s [conscientiousness].’’

Heaphy said he didn’t want to be too heavy-handed. Plaza staff were keeping watch and politely reminding people to keep their distance when they strayed too close.

Downtown on Broadway was taking similar precautions as people returned to the mall.

Manager Greg Key said everybody was used to the standard precautions by now and as long as shoppers kept to them consistently the mall could take a handsoff approach. ‘‘People are doing pretty well [on their own].’’