[caption id="attachment_208364" align="alignleft" width="909"]
A commercial area in Puchong without its usual traffic on March 18, 2020.— Picture by ASHWIN KUMAR/SELANGOR JOURNAL[/caption]
By Ashwin Kumar
SHAH ALAM, March 18 — Several Selangor urban areas were considerably deserted on the first day of the two-week Covid-19 movement control order as many retail outlets had complied to the order issued by the Federal government on Monday.
Checks by Selangor Journal in Puchong, Shah Alam, and Subang Jaya had also saw clear roads on a working day that would have normally been bustling with vehicles during the day.
In Bandar Kinrara, a 24-hour Mamak restaurant had only provided food takeaway and food delivery services as customers were not allowed to dine-in. The eatery also took the initiative to attach several notices on its walls to alert customers of the new rule in place effective today until March 31.
A hypermarket in Bandar Kinrara was seen to be almost empty with non-essential stores closed for business.
[caption id="attachment_208365" align="alignleft" width="300"]
Customers had their body temperature checked before entering a fast-food outlet in Bandar Kinrara, Puchong, on March 18, 2020.— Picture by ASHWIN KUMAR/SELANGOR JOURNAL[/caption]
Meanwhile, a convenient store in a shopping mall in the area was closed and visitors were barred from entering the building.
However, fast-food outlets attached to the mall were allowed to operate but restricted to takeaway and food delivery only, and customers entering the outlets had their body temperatures checked by the manager.
The manager, who remained anonymous, told Selangor Journal that health screening is also conducted on the vendors and all of its staff.
[caption id="attachment_208363" align="alignright" width="300"]
Retail shops were closed in a deserted shopping mall in Shah Alam on March 18, 2020. — Picture by SELANGOR JOURNAL[/caption]
In Shah Alam, a shopping mall was missing it’s usual crowd of visitors, as many non-essential shops were closed down as well. Several eateries that were open for takeaway and food delivery had stacked-up its chairs and stowed away the dining tables.
Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin had on Monday announced the shutdown of all non-essential services and barring activities involving the mass gathering of people across the country in efforts to contain the country’s worsening Covid-19 situation.
Malaysia recorded its first two deaths from Covid-19 yesterday while total positive cases also rose to 673, making the country the worst-hit in the Southeast Asia region.
