Westfield Palm Desert Set to Reopen Friday

The Westfield Palm Desert Mall announced it will reopen Friday with new hours and safety guidelines for patrons to follow. Beginning Friday, May 29, the mall will be open from 11 a.m. until 7 p.m. Monday to Saturday and 12 p.m. to 6 p.m. on Sundays. "Westfield is excited to open our doors again to the desert community as we begin our initial recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic," said Franchesca Forrer, Marketing Director. "We are working closely with local officials and other relevant community groups to ensure a healthy, clean and safe environment for our customers, retailers and employees; and are committed to providing the best experience possible as business begins to operate at the center." The shopping center will follow state and local health and safety guidelines for both shoppers and employees. These procedures and practices include: – Increasing the frequency of cleaning measures following CDC and local health department guidelines, with a focus on high-touch areas such as restrooms, play areas, dining areas, and water fountains; – Monitoring and controlling the number of guests entering the centers and crowds in dwell areas and queuing lines; – Implementing and enforcing relevant policies related to social distancing, face masks and other preventative measures; and – Providing an increased number of hand sanitizer and handwashing stations. Last Friday, the county was given approval by the California Department of Public Health, with the governor’s blessing, for an "accelerated" move into reopening economic sectors impacted by the coronavirus emergency. The move paved the way for restrictions on in-person dining and shopping to be lifted in time for the Memorial Day Weekend. The California Department of Public Health rescinded its ban on in-person shopping at retail stores for all counties in the state on Monday. The mall will also continue it’s #WestfieldCares program that aims to help those impacted the most by the crisis. Store hours, health and safety practices and more on the #WestfieldCares program can be found at westfield.com/palmdesert.