By Lian Cheng and Karen Bong
KUCHING, July 14: DayakDaily has been receiving questions and queries with regards to the do’s and don’ts as Sarawak enters Phase 2 of National Recovery Plan (NRP).
To answer the questions posted to us, privately or through DayakDaily’s social media pages, we have decided to come out with this section of questions and answers.
We will continue to update the questions and answers over a period of time until the State Disaster Management Committee (SDMC) decides to move into the next stage in its fight against Covid-19.
For more information or clarification regarding the SOP for Phase 2 NRP, the public can contact SDMC hotline at 082-443991 or Ministry of Local Government and Housing (MLGH) WhatsApp hotline at 016-2391111.
1. Are there any passenger limits for a vehicle?
No, the restriction on number of passengers in a vehicle has been lifted in Phase 2 of the NRP. Drivers may carry as many passengers as the vehicle capacity allows.
2. Are we allowed to travel beyond the 10km limit?
Yes, the 10km radius limit for travel has been lifted. However, movement is restricted to carry out official duties, for essential services and those that support the operation of essential sectors, to obtain healthcare and medical services, to buy food, daily necessities or medication and health supplement, vaccination appointments and to carry out activities permitted under the standard operating procedures (SOP).
3. Are non-essential businesses allowed to operate?
Only services or activities listed as essential are permitted to operate (subject to the SOPs of Local Government and Housing Ministry).
- Grocery stores, variety stores, supermarkets, hypermarkets, departmental stores, shopping mall (only sections offering essential goods)
- Packaging and printing
- Furniture stores
- Markets, wet markets, wholesale markets, weekend markets, night markets under local government
- Hardware stores, kitchenware, households and home appliances stores
- Electrical, electronic and ICT stores
- Telecommunication stores including mobile shops (sales, repair, bill payment)
- Fashion apparel and footwear stores
- Automotive accessories including sales, maintenance and repair
- Car wash
- Healthcare equipment, optical store and safety equipment stores
- Restaurants, eateries, food stalls, food truck, roadside stalls, mobile hawkers, food courts, hawker centres, food kiosks (subjected to MLGH SOP)
- Pet shops, pet food, agriculture products including nursery and fishing equipment
- Launderettes including self-service laundries
- Hair salons and barbershops (for hair cuts only)
- Cleaning services, grass cutting, pest control
- Other retail businesses permitted by MLGH or KPDNHEP Sarawak with approval from SDMC
- Fuels and lubricants including petrol stations
- Logging and timber
- Fishery, agriculture and plantation
- Food distribution and supply chain
- Industry and businesses related to security and defense
- Manufacturing and production
- Ship building and repair
- Construction, maintenance and repair of private and public infrastructures and projects as well as private individual projects
- Electricity and power supply
- Eater supply
- Solid waste and sewage management
- Telecommunication and ICT services
- Broadcasting and information
- Sea, land and air services including e-hailing and food delivery
- Ports and airports
- Judicial, legal and registered professional bodies
- Banking and financial including insurance, Takaful and community credit
- Lodging and hotel
- Post, courier and logistics
- Creative industry (without audience)
5. Can children visit public areas?
Children aged 12 years and below are forbidden to enter public places and crowded areas.
6. Are hair saloons and barbershops allowed to operate?
Yes, they are. However, the operators can only offer hair cutting services. Perming, rebonding or colouring and other hair-related services are not allowed at this time.
7. Are tuition centres, music learning centres, language centres, skills centres or any enrichment learning centres allowed to reopen?
No, all private learning and enrichment centres including tuition centes and home tuitions registered under Ministry of Education (MOE) are not permitted to resume physical classes yet.
The reopening or resumption of physical classes of educational institutions are subject to the decisions to be announced by the MOE and Ministry of Higher Education (MoHE) as for now, all face-to-face learning and teaching activities are still not permitted except for students with special needs.
8. What is the workforce capacity for the private sector under Phase 2 of the NRP?
The workforce capacity has been increased to 50 per cent at any one time including for operation and management, except for essential services like healthcare which is allowed to run at full capacity without time limit.
However, sectors, companies and industries with all staff have completed two doses of their vaccination can apply for full resumption of operations.
9. Is curfew still in place?
No, curfew has been totally lifted under Phase 2 of the NRP.
10. What are the operation hours for businesses and industries?
Businesses and industries are now allowed to operate from 6am to 10pm, instead of 6am to 8pm during Phase 1 of the NRP.
11. Are people allowed to travel across districts like from Asajaya to Kota Samarahan or Kuching?
No, inter-district and inter-division movement are not allowed except for essential services with police permit or authorisation letter from employer.
12. Do business premises need to limit the number of patrons or customers into their premises?
Yes, business operators are required limit the number of customers into a premises by implementing physical distancing measure of at least one metre.
A notice of the maximum number of customers allowed into a premises at any one time that has been approved by the local authorities should also be displayed at the store front.
Business operators are encouraged to use numbering system to track the number of customers into a premises.
13. Are people allowed to go jogging, take morning walk at public parks?
Yes, non-contact sporting activities such as jogging, cycling, golfing and light exercises are allowed.
The previous restrictions that limit such activities within own neighbourhood areas have been lifted and public parks have been reopened for the public with compliance to SOP. — DayakDaily
