Selangor Journal
The quiet atmosphere at a shopping mall in Kuala Lumpur, on May 23, 2021. — Picture by BERNAMA

Shopping centres quieter due to Covid-19 concerns

KUALA LUMPUR, May 24 — Unlike the usual scenes on weekdays, the atmosphere at shopping malls these days is quieter due to concerns over the increase in Covid-19 infections in Malaysia.

Since the movement control order 3.0 (MCO 3.0) came into effect on May 12, people seem to be abiding by and cooperating with the government’s guidelines by “staying at home” and practising “self-lockdown” unless there is an urgent need to leave the house. Those heading to malls to buy necessities and merchants, on average, are following the standard operating procedures (SOPs).

On Saturday, the government added further restrictions to tighten MCO 3.0 SOPs in order to reduce the movement of people throughout the peninsula and Labuan.

According to a Bernama survey yesterday, several shopping malls in the capital only saw a few customers.

In Kuantan, the number of visitors at several shopping malls also saw a decline due to the MCO 3.0. Clothing outlet employee Hafizah Halimi, 30, said the reduction in the number of customers to the mall was significant after the implementation of the latest MCO compared to when Pahang was under the recovery movement control order (RMCO).

“Although the number of customers is less, there is still activity on weekends with most of them being food delivery people collecting orders from restaurants here,” she said.

Shop assistant Norlaili Abdul Wahab, 46, said due to the rising Covid positive cases, she and her husband would take turns going out to buy household items so that they do not put their children’s health at risk.

Most shops have also placed notices not to allow children to enter business premises since the Pahang government announced that children are not encouraged to visit shopping malls, eateries and bazaars.

Meanwhile, a survey at a supermarket near Bukit Mertajam, Penang found that there were still parents who brought children, aged 12 and under, to supermarkets as they had no one to look after the children.

A worker, who only wanted to be known as Tasha, 30, said she had to bring her two children, aged two and three respectively, as no one could take care of them during the weekends.

“Babysitters only accept (babysitting) on weekdays, so I had to bring them (children) to buy daily necessities. If I take them (children) to the supermarket, I will make sure they are not in congested places,” she said.

A survey at a shopping centre in Ipoh found fewer shoppers than usual after the enhanced movement control order (EMCO) was implemented in Mukim Hulu Kinta on Saturday. Most of the visitors at the mall were there for a blood donation drive organised by the Raja Perempuan Bainun Hospital, Ipoh.

Things were also quiet in a shopping mall in Banda Hilir, Melaka. In fact, there seemed to be more employees than visitors, and visitors maintained physical distancing. Meanwhile, there was a decline in traffic at tourist spots in Melaka.

Yesterday, Malaysia recorded 6,976 new Covid-19 cases, the highest number ever recorded since the pandemic hit the country more than a year ago.

— Bernama

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