Shops At Mission Viejo Close During Coronavirus Pandemic

MISSION VIEJO, CA — When security guards closed the Shops at Mission Viejo Wednesday, they did so for many weeks. The Shops at Mission Viejo mall was officially closed, Wednesday at 7 p.m. through at least March 29, they said.

Due to curtailing the spread of coronavirus in Orange County and beyond, the Simon Company that owns the mall determined to shut it down for health and safety reasons.

It was not known if anyone at the mall had contracted coronavirus. However, a shopkeeper at South Coast Plaza tested positive for the virus earlier this week, sparking the closure of that facility.

Simon began addressing health and safety in earnest in January when they implemented comprehensive cleaning programs with CDC-approved disinfectants at increased frequencies. Two months later, they've decided that it is not enough.

Economic fallout has struck many businesses during the global pandemic that is the new coronavirus. Across the southland, business closures have now hit the majority of area malls. The Desert Hills Premium Outlets, Carlsbad Premium Outlets, and the Ontario Mills Outlet have also been shuttered for the time being.

The Simon company has made safety a priority, a spokesperson for that organization says. Temporarily closing all mall facilities is just another part of that.

"We are committed to doing whatever is needed to safeguard the health of our shoppers, our employees, and our tenants," they said in a recent press release. "To that end, we are taking extraordinary steps to keep everyone safe and healthy at our center."

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How are you coping with the shut down in your town? Let your Patch Editor know by emailing: ashley.ludwig@patch.com

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