[UPDATED] Still a no for nightclubs despite endemic move: KJ

KUALA LUMPUR – Nightclubs will still not be allowed to operate even as the country begins phase one of the transition towards the Covid-19 endemic phase on April 1, said Health Minister Khairy Jamaluddin.

He said in a press conference today that the entertainment premises are the only ones on the negative list.

“Starting April 1, the only premises that will be on the negative list are nightclubs. This is because of their particular nature.

“We have looked into this. On the balance of risk assessments, nightclubs are high-risk premises. Although we will begin the transition towards the endemic phase, this remains on the negative list,” he said.

This comes amid Prime Minister Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob’s announcement yesterday to transition towards the endemic phase of Covid-19 starting April 1 this year.

He said all restrictions on operating hours have been lifted and that businesses can open according to the conditions set by their respective licences. 

He added that this will allow dining in past midnight, while allowing 24-hour convenience stores to open as normal.

Asked if the government would make a U-turn on the transition to endemicity phase, Khairy said the government does not have plans to look back.  

“All countries hope that this is a one-way transition, which means that we will not look back. However, as the Health Ministry, which applies the disease control policy that is safe and takes care of public health, we have to be prepared for any possibilities. 

“One of it, which I have informed the cabinet ministers, is of the emergence of a new or more violent variant than Omicron. Not just Malaysia, other countries will have to reevaluate their reopening protocol.”

This is because, he said, his ministry cannot disregard the possibility of the emergence of new Covid-19 variants or changes in terms of epidemiology. 

“For instance, if we reach a point where the healthcare system is paralysed, the Health Ministry will advise the government to take certain measures. 

“But for now, we are confident that the transition should continue. We will increase our surveillance and continue to monitor the development and data from other countries,” he said. – The Vibes, March 9, 2022