Shops, petrol stations in Sarawak to close from 7pm to 7am

CORONAVIRUS | The operations of all hypermarkets, supermarkets, markets, coffee shops, private clinics, restaurants, 24-hour convenient stores and petrol stations throughout Sarawak are to be closed from 7pm to 7am daily from March 24 to 31.

State Disaster Management Committee in its statement today said the new directive was another strategy of the committee to break the chain of Covid-19 infection during the enforcement of the movement control order (MCO).

“This (order for closure) is necessary to stop public movement which is still heavy in certain places,” it said.

Meanwhile, the gateway at the Sindumin-Merapok Immigration, Customs, Quarantine and Security (ICQS) complex at the Sabah-Sarawak border will operate from 6am to 8pm beginning today.

Sabah state secretary Safar Untong said the matter was decided at the Sabah Covid-19 Command Centre meeting today as part of the effort to curb the spread of the virus.

Previously, the ICQS Sindumin-Merapok complex usually opens from 6am until midnight.

In addition, Safar said, a new schedule has been drawn up for Sabah’s train service which will now only cater for essential services.

The train service from Kota Kinabalu to Beaufort has been stopped while the Beaufort-Halogilat service would operate four times daily, from 7.50am to 4.30pm.

“The Halogilat-Rayoh service has also been stopped, while the Rayoh to Tenom service will operate four times a day from 7.50am to 4pm,” Safar said in a statement in Kota Kinabalu today.

Separately, he said the state government also decided that the homeless will be temporarily placed in centres set up by the local authorities.

He added that the state government was also allowing food processing factories and companies transporting food like rice, vegetables and fish for domestic use to continue operating.

Safar also said all village heads, chairpersons of village community management councils, as well as city well-being committee chairpersons, should impose the MCO in their respective areas.

In addition, he said, the state government insisted that all public gatherings and social events like feasts, weddings, and customary events involving the public be cancelled.

“Roadblocks are being set up throughout Sabah to ensure compliance with the MCO. Members of the public are requested to give their full cooperation,” he said.

- Bernama