A mall in San Antonio, Texas, abruptly closed on Monday after learning that a patient who tested positive for the novel coronavirus had visited the shopping center.
North Star Mall said it would close for cleaning for approximately 24 hours.
"While the shopping center had been cleaned several times using CDC-recommended products, as an abundance of caution, we made the decision to close North Star Mall temporarily to allow for a further deep cleaning of the center," reads a statement posted to the mall's Facebook page.
"We want to reiterate that there is a low risk to the public, but we are taking extra precautions for the well-being of our shopping center community," the statement said. "We will be transparent with the community during this time."
The patient with the coronavirus, who was recently released from quarantine, was at the mall for two hours on Saturday, from 5:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. She visited Dillard's, Talbots, and Swarovski stores and ate at the food court, according to information from the office of San Antonio Mayor Ron Nirenberg.
Nirenberg declared a public health emergency on Monday, citing the patient's apparently premature release from quarantine.
North Star Mall's website says it's owned by real estate giant Brookfield Properties. Brookfield did not immediately respond to Business Insider's request for comment.
The incident marks the first time that a US shopping mall has closed due to coronavirus concerns. It may offer a preview of how other malls and shopping centers might be forced to respond if the outbreak worsens.
While the shopping mall expects to reopen after just 24 hours, events like this could spook some customers and impact business even after reopening.
A recent survey by Coresight Research found that nearly six in 10 people plan to avoid public areas such as shopping malls if the coronavirus outbreak worsens.
