MCO: Some economic activities allowed with reduced operating hours - Ismail Sabri

KUALA LUMPUR: Some economic activities are allowed to operate during the Movement Control Order which will start at 12.01 am (Jan 13,) with operating hours of between 6 am to 8 pm, and exceptions for certain activities.

Senior Minister (Security Cluster) Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob said this included restaurants, eateries, street hawkers, as well as food courts, however, eating at the premises was not allowed, with options only for delivery, takeaway, and drive-through.

Besides that, he said, kiosks, grocery stores, convenience stores and shops selling daily necessities, laundries (except self-service laundry) were allowed to operate with the same time restrictions.

"Daily markets and farmers' markets can operate from 7 am to 2 pm, with wholesale markets from 12.01 am to 6 am and 11 am to 4 pm," he said in his daily press conference today./p

The recently announced MCO which takes effect from tomorrow (Jan 13) to Jan 26, involves Penang, Selangor, the Federal Territories (Kuala Lumpur, Putrajaya and Labuan), Melaka, Johor and Sabah.

Six other states - Pahang, Perak, Negeri Sembilan, Kedah, Terengganu and Kelantan were placed under the Conditional MCO (CMCO) with Perlis and Sarawak under the Recovery MCO (RMCO), for the same period.

Commenting further, Ismail Sabri said petrol stations were allowed to operate from 6 am to 10 pm, except those located along the highway, which were allowed to operate for 24 hours.

Hospitals and clinics, he said, were allowed to operate round the clock, while pharmacies could only open from 6 am to 8 pm.

Meanwhile, he said those in areas imposed with the MCO could only travel within a radius of 10 kilometres, with only two people allowed in car, except for those who required medical attention, where a maximum of three people could be present in a car, besides being allowed to travel beyond the 10-km radius.

Commenting on childcare centres, nurseries, and kindergartens being allowed to operate throughout the MCO, he said the decision was made after receiving reports that parents were facing difficulty in looking after their children as public and private service offices were still open.

"It will be difficult for parents to work if the children cannot be sent (to these centres), and we actually impose very strict SOPs on parents who send them there, and also, while the children are at these centres, very strict SOPs need to be implemented by those running them," he said.

-- BERNAMA