COVID-19 continues to affect the lives of people around the world, reaching the grim milestones of 10 million confirmed cases and 500,000 deaths. Despite this, many countries and cities have managed to curb the spread of the virus, and have lifted lockdown measures, allowing daily lives and business operations to resume.

Here’s how our companies have started reopening and ensuring the health and wellbeing of staff, tenants and guests.  

Singapore ended its “circuit breaker” period on 1 June 2020, moving into a three-phase reopening that saw preventive measures being relaxed, such as allowing students to head back to schools and dining in allowed in restaurants, albeit with social distancing in place and mandatory wearing of masks.

City Developments Limited (CDL) has rolled out a series of initiatives at its office and retail properties. This includes having antimicrobial disinfectant coating on high-contact touch points such as elevator buttons and handrails, disinfectant mats at entrances, air purifiers using PhotoPlasma technology, as well as UV-C robots. Its office community and shoppers are encouraged to maintain social distance, standing apart on escalators, and in demarcated zones in lifts.

SafeEntry is also made mandatory at its properties to help with contact tracing. At its flagship commercial property Republic Plaza, its office community can also use the CityNexus app to check in to SafeEntry.  

CBM’s Cleaning and Disinfection Team has been in the frontlines fighting the global pandemic. One of Singapore’s leading providers of integrated facilities management, the firm has been providing thorough and effective disinfection and sanitisation services to its sites, ensuring optimal hygiene levels.

As Singapore moved into Phase 2 of safe reopening, the team prepared its sites to receive higher human traffic. The operational solution included increasing frequency of cleaning, with more stringent standards for toilets and high touchpoint areas including lifts, doors and escalators. In addition, alcohol-based hand sanitisers were also made available at entrances of buildings and lift lobbies. The team also fashioned a “shoes disinfecting mat” that prevents the transfer of COVID-19 droplets on the ground, which can be carried further to other areas afoot.

Hong Leong Finance has reopened seven more branches and two SME Centres on 13 July, in the final phase of its gradual reopening to resume business for its entire network of 28 branches and 12 SME Centres.

Business hours has resumed to 9.00am to 4.30pm on weekdays and 9.00am to 12.00pm on Saturdays, with priority given to vulnerable customers who are elderly, pregnant or have mobility issues from 9.00am to 11.00am.

Safe Distancing Ambassadors will also be at all locations to ensure strict adherence to safe distancing measures including temperature checks, wearing of masks, safe distancing between customers and employees, and SafeEntry visitor management system. Ambassadors will also provide assistance for vulnerable guests if they need help with any safe management measures.

At the same time, it has also launched its Business Loans Campaign to reach out to more small and medium enterpises, to help them mitigate the impact from the coronavirus crisis.

Millennium Hotels and Resorts (MHR) rolled out its campaign ‘We Clean. We Care. We Welcome.’ across its portfolio of over 145 properties in some 80 locations. The campaign outlines 10 key hallmarks, including rigorous cleanliness and hygiene standards and food safety requirements to ensure the health and safety of all guests and staff. The campaign also includes special stay and dining promotions.

To show gratitude to the healthcare workers in Singapore who have been working tirelessly in the fight against COVID-19, MHR’s six Singapore properties joined the online campaign ‘Lions of Health Care’, offering special perks and privileges for some 42,000 healthcare personnel.

Dining-in has also reopened at M Hotel’s Café 2000, Orchard Hotel’s The Orchard Café and Hua Ting, M Social’s Beast & Butterflies, and Grand Shanghai, while takeaway and islandwide delivery remain available for guests opting to dine at home. Hotels that have received approval from the Singapore Tourism Board can also allow for staycations.

In the United States, several states, including California, Colorado, Illinois and Chicago, had earlier eased restrictions around COVID-19, allowing gatherings, bars and sit-down restaurants and non-essential retail to resume. On top of the global ‘We Clean. We Care. We Welcome.’ campaign, the hotels have also launched a social campaign, getting guests to share their memories of their stays at Millennium properties in North America on Facebook and Instagram.

In mainland China, where the coronavirus originated in Wuhan City in Hubei Province, most cities and provinces started to resume work gradually by mid-February, with safe distancing measures in place and restrictions on travel within the country.

In Suzhou, HLCC Plaza has been keeping in close contact with the local Centre for Disease Control and Prevention to prepare for the new “normal” operations. A Help Desk was set up at the entrance of HLCC Plaza to assist returning tenants and have their temperatures recorded daily. A designated area was also created to store any deliveries for tenants.

The team also donated surgical masks to tenants, and stepped up cleaning and disinfection of public spaces such as the lobbies, carparks, and parcel lockers. In the elevators, buttons have been covered with protective films that are replaced daily, to prevent direct contact. The team also distributed surgical masks to HLCC Plaza tenants.

HLCC mall has also welcomed back shoppers. To attract footfall, the children’s singing competition The Voice of Kids (最美童声) was held at the mall. The competition was co-organised with Suzhou Municipal Committee’s Publicity Department and Suzhou Bureau of Education.

As MHR properties in China started to see an uptick in tourism recovery, they launched new initiatives. In addition to the COVID-19 Superhero Appreciation campaign to thank medical workers including doctors, nurses and first responders, the hotels also rolled out new services. This included dining delivery, where nearby residents could place delivery orders for food, as well as laundry and dry-cleaning services. The hotels also introduced dining promotions such as afternoon tea sets.

The hotels also tapped onto other platforms, such as Fliggy, an online Chinese travel platform. In mid-June, the platform held its Fliggy 618 eCommerce Festival, and the properties celebrated the MHR Fliggy Store 4th Anniversary during the festival, offering promotions on room bookings, dining, and tour packages. It also used WeChat Mall in a digital campaign to reach new users.

Millennium Harbourview Xiamen also took part in the Fujian Tour Expo by the Xiamen Cultural and Tourism Bureau, visiting cities in the province including Long Yan, Quanzhou and Zhangzhou, to reach out to domestic travellers.

New Zealand was among the first nations that managed to curb the virus spread within the community, with its countrywide lockdown that was implemented on 25 March. On 8 June, all restrictions were removed save for border controls, with residents free to proceed with daily life, business activities, mass gatherings and public transportation.

MHR properties in New Zealand have reopened their doors, welcoming diners and domestic travellers. In Rotorua, Millennium Rotorua partnered with local tourist destinations such as Rotorua Duck Tours and Zorb Rotorua and Polynesian Spa to offer staycation packages for New Zealanders. In Wairarapa, Copthorne Solway Park tied up with Destination Wairarapa to offer a family stay as part of their giveaway contest.