SIBU, May 12: Sibu Coffeeshop and Restaurant Owners Association regrets that only between 20 to 30 per cent of the 750 coffeeshops here who resumed dine-in service today followed the SOP under the conditional MCO.
Its chairman Tong Ing Kok blamed the lackadaisical attitude of most operators due to lack of strict enforcement by authorities.
“I went around this morning and saw that most of the operators did not even follow the basic SOP like taking the body temperature of the customers, taking down their particulars and providing hand sanitizer,” he said.
He lamented that a number of the operators even failed to abide by the SOP on the minimum distance between tables that is required.
“The standard one according to the SOP is at least two metres between tables but I saw that the tables are placed too close with just four feet between each other. Customers could be seen sitting back to back with each other due to this,” he said.
He also noticed that customers were sitting too close to each other at a small table.
“The operators should use masking tape on the table for social distancing to take place but I did not see them doing it,” he said.
He also advised operators to buy better infrared thermometers costing more than RM200 each.
“Don’t go for cheap ones which cost less than RM100 which cannot take the accurate reading,” he advised.
Tong said the authorities need to be strict and not just tell them the content of the SOP.
“I have called up the State Disaster Management Committee yesterday on the expected flaws that will happen today. The enforcement team should start taking stern action against those who do not comply by the SOP. If they do this then everybody will be scared and fully abide by the SOP,” he said.
He said if a positive case of Covid-19 was found due to non-compliance by the operators, then everybody would have to suffer the consequences if the authority stopped eatery outlets from operating for a certain period until things returned to normalcy.
“I don’t want to see just because of one positive case that all eatery outlets have to stop operating until a time when the authority gives the green light to re-open,” he said.
He said though the operators were anxious to resume dine-in service after almost two months of only serving takeaways during the MCO period, they should follow the SOP set by the government.
“I also appeal to the cooperation of customers. If they are presented with the logbook, please assist to write down your particulars like name, identity card number including contact number,” he added.—DayakDaily
