KOTA KINABALU – The operating hours for food outlets, restaurants, pharmacies, convenience stores and fuel stations in Sabah have been extended by another two hours.
They now can operate from 6am to 8pm – instead of from 6pm to 6pm – starting from October 17 (tomorrow), said Local Government and Housing Minister Datuk Seri Masidi Manjun, tonight.
“The extension hours however does not apply to mini-markets, sundry shops, supermarkets and hypermarkets,” he said in a statement here.
The Sabah government has allowed a majority of the state’s economic, industrial and trade sectors to operate, but they need to strictly observe the health protocols amid the conditional movement control order (CMCO) that has been in place since October 14.
Entertainment outlets, cinemas, gambling activities, night market, farmers’ market, massage houses, reflexology centres, facial treatment, manicure and pedicure are not allowed.
Localities where the targeted enhanced movement control order (Temco) is being enforced are also excluded from the revised operating hours.
Sabah today recorded 489 new cases, taking the total number of cases to 6,286 and out of this number, 3,185 persons are undergoing treatment.
Meanwhile, Masidi, who is the Sabah government’s official spokesperson for Covid-19, said the state has distributed 35,672 food baskets to targeted groups around the state.
On another development, industry players have claimed that many local government enforcement officers were not informed of the state government’s move to open up selected economic sectors during the CMCO, according to Sabah Deputy Chief Minister Datuk Joachim Gunsalam.
“I will notify all the local governments over this matter,” he said after attending a briefing with business and industrial associations, earlier today. - The Vibes, October 16, 2020.
