US. Duty Free Americas (DFA) is taking special precautions to ensure the safety of staff and customers as it prepares to reopen selected stores amid the COVID-19 crisis.
Rather than simply following standards and procedures recommended by the World Health Organization, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), and local governments, DFA has hired Dr. Michael Braun as its medical consultant to closely monitor a rapidly evolving situation.
Dr. Braun is an internist and primary care physician with almost 25 years of experience. He is also a board-certified cardiologist and is affiliated with Aventura Hospital and Medical Center in Aventura, Florida.
All DFA staff are being provided with safety training before they return to work. Dr Braun will oversee the implementation of prevention measures and answer any questions that employees may have in connection with COVID-19.
[Click on the YouTube icon to listen to Dr. Braun introduce himself to DFA employees]
In order to ensure a sanitary shopping experience for the retailer’s employees and customers, Dr. Braun has been developing DFA’s safety protocols related to medical screening of employees. These involve using facial coverings, regular handwashing, sanitising surfaces, and minimising physical contact.
He is also providing advice about equipping stores with shields between cashiers and customers; floor decals to maintain social distancing and crowd control; and additional cleaning and sanitising supplies. In addition, he is exploring new practices at DFA’s counters, including self-application of fragrance and beauty products.
“The safety and well-being of our employees has always been and remains of paramount importance to us, especially in this uncertain time,” said DFA Chief Executive Officer Jerome Falic. “We are honoured to have Dr. Braun join us as we prepare our stores for the gradual recovery phase of the travel retail industry, and we are certain that his guidance will help ease many of the concerns of our employees and customers until this pandemic is behind us.”
“DFA deserves credit for taking this novel coronavirus very seriously from the outset,” commented Dr. Braun. “It is incumbent on companies like DFA to educate their employees about COVID-19 while making them feel comfortable in the workplace. I am at the disposal of DFA’s employees to explain the latest developments and answer related health questions, and I will be in ongoing communication with the company to make sure it has proper support throughout this period.”
