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KUALA LUMPUR – Malaysia reported a new record for coronavirus cases on Saturday (Jan 16) with 4,029 infections daily, even as the public continued to debate the government’s turn on what should be closed during the movement restrictions that were re-imposed on the The last Wednesday. .
The Malaysian Ministry of Health reported that the total number of cases has risen to 155,095.
There were eight new deaths to bring the total number of deaths to 594.
Malaysia re-enforced its second Movement Control Order (MCO) for two weeks last Wednesday, due to a sharp increase in Covid-19 cases.
The two-week MCO 2.0 involves five states, like Selangor and Johor, and all three federal territories, including Kuala Lumpur. The MCO has now been extended to the state of Kelantan.
The number of Covid-19 cases has stubbornly stayed above 2,000 a day for most of this month.
On March 18 of last year when the first MCO was imposed, daily cases of coronavirus stood at 117.
The government has warned that daily cases could reach 8,000 by the end of March or the end of May, according to an analysis of predictive models.
Under MCO 2.0, interdistrict and interstate travel was again prohibited, and a maximum of two people per household is allowed to go out at the same time to purchase essentials.
But unlike last year’s movement restrictions, more companies have been allowed to stay open.
Public parks in Kuala Lumpur were reopened on Saturday, just three days after the government announced they would be closed to avoid mixing.
To many people’s surprise, a variety of stores, from jewelry and skincare to luggage and appliances, are open.
At a Kuala Lumpur shopping mall visited on Saturday, the supermarket was packed with shoppers jostling each other, though only 80 people were supposed to be allowed in at a time.
Meanwhile, automakers like Honda and Toyota were allowed to continue assembling vehicles, just days after the companies said they had shut down because the government was concerned about infections in the workplace.
While some welcomed the more relaxed MCO 2.0 as they are concerned about job losses and sick of being stuck at home, others are unhappy.
“This is a half-done OLS. How will the numbers go down like this?” Housewife Tracy Lim, 50, told The Straits Times.
During the first MCO, most stores were closed for about three months, and only essential businesses, such as supermarkets and pharmacies, were allowed to remain open.
Workers strictly supervised entry into these establishments to avoid overcrowding.
Public parks were closed immediately after MCO 2.0 went online last Wednesday.
But nine opposition MPs representing Kuala Lumpur districts urged the government last Wednesday to reopen public parks, saying that these were “the most suitable, controlled and safe places for leisure activities.”
Then, on Friday, Federal Territories Minister Annuar Musa said the parks would be reopened, but no group activities or picnics would be allowed.
Said attorney Haslina Hassan, who took her 15-year-old daughter for a run to Lake Gardens yesterday: “The security protocols are pretty strict and everyone is complying. I feel safe.”
It has also allowed more and more stores to open since last Wednesday, such as opticians after complaints that they were more “essential” than jewelry stores.
Barbers and hairdressers said they too should get the go-ahead from the government.
“Many other sectors have been allowed to operate, what about us? Please don’t neglect us. We need to fill our rice bowls as well,” said Malaysian Bumiputera Barbers Association President TN Winda Mohd Tahir, to Malay Mail online.
Malaysia’s unemployment rate stood at 4.6 percent in September last year, Human Resources Minister M. Saravanan said last month, up from 3.32 percent in 2019.
Businesses and hoteliers are already warning of massive losses due to Covid-19.
Malaysian Hotel Association Executive Director Yap Lip Seng said the industry is expected to lose more than RM300 million (S $ 99 million) in revenue for every two weeks from the MCO.
“The industry will be forced to make more closings and lay off more employees with little or no improvement,” said the Malay Mail.
Some permanent closures have already been announced.
The Sime Darby Convention Center in KL said Friday it was closing, along with three restaurants located there.
Still, for stores that are open, some consumers may be avoiding.
“Yesterday we only had nine clients, we usually get about 200 a day. If we close, it’s bad for the staff. But if we open, we can expose ourselves to the virus,” said Ms Amira Abdul Rani, who works at Bath and Body Works at Mid Valley Megamall.
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