PETALING JAYA: Bar owners and restaurant operators have welcomed the easing of Covid-19 restrictions from April 1, but say they will still proceed with caution.
Restaurant Bar Owners Association spokesman Joshua Bilique said that with the exception of the entertainment industry, the majority of businesses in other sectors had reopened with minor restrictions.
He welcomed the relaxation of Covid-19 SOPs, including the removal of restrictions on operating hours.
However, he said there were issues that had caused confusion among the association’s members.
One of these was the requirement to pay entertainment licence fees.
“Kuala Lumpur City Council (DBKL) has been charging us an entertainment licence fee for two years even though entertainment was not allowed,” he said.
FMT has reached out to DBKL for comment.
Bilique said the association’s members would maintain the SOPs to prevent the spread of Covid-19, including limiting seating capacity to 75% and enforcing physical distancing.
Yesterday, Prime Minister Ismail Sabri Yaakob said the government would begin the transition to the endemic phase of Covid-19 from April 1, which would see the relaxation of some restrictions.
Shaheera Shahab, the director of Pampas Steakhouse at Old Malaya, Kuala Lumpur, said she was delighted by the announcement.
However, she said, business operators should still take precautions to ensure the safety of their guests, particularly those who were considered “vulnerable”.
“We should not forget that we are a community,” she said.
myBurgerLab co-founder Renyi Chin said it would take time for many restaurants to go back to their pre-pandemic operating hours.
He said many restaurants closed early even after the government relaxed the rules for businesses.
“It could take two to three months before restaurants and businesses extend their operating hours,” he said, adding that it would also take time for people to be comfortable going out again. - FMT
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