Yesterday (June 25) marked 100 days since Malaysia first implemented the Movement Control Order (MCO) to contain the spread of COVID-19.

With the country currently on recovery mode in the pandemic, here are some updates you may want to know about:

- Sub-sectors of domestic tourism, such as meetings and exhibitions, travel and trade fairs, as well as spa, wellness and reflexology centres, can reopen from July 1.

In his COVID-19 briefing today, senior minister (security cluster) Ismail Sabri Yaakob, said exhibitions, trades and fairs, however, will have to limit the number of attendance to a maximum of 250 people at any one time, and abide by strict standard operating procedures.

"As for spa and wellness centres, the operators and employees must also follow SOPs set by the National Security Council and the Health Ministry, such as providing taking the customers' body temperatures, and using face masks and hand sanitisers.

"The government understands the plight of masseurs, including the blind, whose livelihoods have been affected during the MCO. Now they can reopen, but they must undergo COVID-19 screening first," said Ismail, adding that the reopening approval applies only to Malaysians.

- The government will allow ambassadors and embassy staff, who are Muslim, to join Friday prayers at mosques, from July onwards.

- Tahfiz schools and madrasahs can reopen, at a date which will be announced by the Education Ministry later. The same applies to tuition centre and education centres for special kids.

The government is currently under the Recovery Movement Control Order (RMCO) until August 31, where a lot of initially imposed restrictions have been gradually loosened, in light of decreasing COVID-19 cases in the country.

Besides social events, daycare centres and cinemas, as well as swimming polls, have also been allowed to resume operations from July 1.

Citing the number of fresh cases of COVID-19 which has "almost flattened", Ismail further urged Malaysians to continue abiding by the SOPs set, so that the disease can be defeated.

Malaysia has recorded single digit new COVID-19 cases in the last few days, with no deaths recorded in the last two weeks.

The country's total infection and death tally stands at 8,600 and 121 respectively, while globally, it has surpassed 9.7 million and 491,000, respectively.


Photo source: theedgemarkets.com