COVID-19: UAE supermarkets, pharmacies install anti-microbe barriers
Dubai: An increasing number of retailers, including supermarkets, pharmacies, and clinics in the UAE are introducing anti-microbial barriers in an effort to main social distance and prevent the spread of coronavirus at customer interfaces.
An anti-microbial shield is a transparent sheet, usually comprising a non-porous surface, which is installed at customer check-out counters or patient consultation points to prevent infections from being transmitted.
Nandakumar. V, Chief Communications Officer of the Lulu Group of hypermarkets, told Gulf News, “We started installing these shields across our stores last week to keep both our staff and customers safe. Their safety and health is on top of the agenda, and we are leaving no stone unturned in this effort. Apart from cleaning and sanitising all touch points such as shopping carts, lifts, counters etc, we have also installed acrylic protection at all cash counters across all our branches.”
Nilesh Jain, founder of JustRight FZCO, which makes such shields, said they are a solution for the much required protection for front-line interface or employees at indoor public places.
He said, “Given the current global health emergency; both local and global authorities are doing their outright best to control the situation. We decided to act quickly to introduce a solution to suit present requirements. With a sizeable number of communities where people are vulnerable and could be exposed to infections, the installation of these acrylic shields could play a key role in refraining the virus from spreading. The solution provides long-term protection.”
“We launched the green sheets just as public and private entities were looking for protective measures to curtail the fast spreading virus. They can be conveniently installed across various locations, including medical centers, hospitals, pharmacies, offices, supermarkets, banks and any other location where there is a need to interact closer than the stated social distancing guidelines, he said.
“With over 2000+ supermarkets and groceries in the UAE alone in addition to pharmacies, clinics, and other essential services, it adds up to a sizeable number of outlets where people at both sides of the transaction are exposed and vulnerable. The installation of these shields will keep the virus from spreading without disrupting services,” he added.
He said among the places that JustRight has been installing its shields include Aster clinics, hospitals and pharmacies, Amber Clinics, Al Madina Supermarket and Life Pharmacy Sharjah.