Soldiers and police officers conducting checks at a roadblock on day five of the movement control order (MCO) at Jalan Loke Yew in Kuala Lumpur March 22, 2020. — Picture by Firdaus Latif

KUALA LUMPUR, March 22 — The previous order to restrict 24-hour restaurants in Kuala Lumpur to only 16 hours — during the nationwide Covid-19 shutdown — has been rescinded, Mayor Datuk Nor Hisham A. Dahlan said.

In a notice dated March 19 and posted today on Kuala Lumpur City Hall’s (DBKL) Facebook page, the mayor said there was a previous order made for 24-hour restaurants in Kuala Lumpur to only open from 6am to 10pm from March 19 to March 31.

But the mayor said this restriction will no longer apply.

“After considering the public’s best interests, the restricted business operating hours order from 6am to 10pm is lifted. However, the business premises (restaurants) still need to obey to only services via drive-thru, delivery and takeaway,” the notice said, adding that this order may be subject to change.

The mayor also said stern action will be taken against those who fail to comply.

According to DBKL which posted this notice on its Facebook page in Malay, English, Mandarin, Tamil, Myanmar, Bangladesh, the notice for this order has been distributed in the same six languages.

Face masks, social distancing to avoid closure

Separately, DBKL also posted today a notice dated today by the Kuala Lumpur mayor that laid down three rules relating to supermarkets, grocery stores, restaurants, public and private markets in Kuala Lumpur that will take effect until March 31.

The mayor said that all licensees, workers, visitors, buyers and suppliers who wish to enter such places will have to wear face masks and practise social distancing or staying one metre apart from each other.

“The owner/businesses are responsible for controlling the number of visitors in supermarkets, grocery stores, restaurants and public and private markets at a time to ensure social distance,” the notice said.

The mayor warned that such places will be closed down under the Local Government Act 1976 if the order is not complied with.

Previously, the KL mayor had also issued a notice listing out all the businesses in Kuala Lumpur that must close during the nationwide two-week shutdown of non-essential activities from March 18 to March 31.

These include shopping complexes, business complexes, entertainment premises, stalls by the roadside, food trucks, mobile hawkers, pasar malam or night markets, morning markets, pasar tani or farmers’ markets, and bazaars.

However, the mayor also said restaurants, hawker centres, food courts will be allowed to operate drive-through services, delivery and takeaways during this time, while others allowed to stay open are supermarkets, public markets in buildings, grocery stores, convenience stores, clinics, pharmacies and premises involved with essential services.