The Sarawak Government had released the Kuching CMCO SOP (Conditional Movement Control Order (CMCO), Standard Operating Procedure (SOP)), which will also be used throughout Sarawak.
Based on the Kuching CMCO SOP, it seems that most businesses would be allowed to operate from 12 May 2020, with Kuching slowly expected to return to normal with the implementation of Conditional Movement Control Order (CMCO) from 12 may onwards.
This automatically means the previous Kuching business hours under the MCO will be void.
The Sarawak State Disaster Management Committee (SDMC) stated that most businesses will be allowed to open starting 12 May, but they are required to follow the relevant guidelines and standard operating procedures (SOPs).
SOPs for non-food businesses include having these businesses perform cleaning and disinfection exercises three times daily, exercising social distancing of 1 meter, providing hand sanitizers for visitors, taking and recording body temperature, and encouraging the use of facial mask.
In addition to that, shopping malls, departmental stores, pharmacies, beauty care centres, fashion boutiques are also required to limit the number of visitors entering their respective premises at any one point of time with control being done at entry and exit points.
Business operating hours for different type of businesses would also vary under CMCO.
Shopping malls, departmental stores, pharmacies, beauty care centres, fashion boutiques will be allowed to open from 10AM – 10PM, while mini markets, convenience and grocery stores business hours are from 8AM to 8PM.
Laundrettes including self-service laundrettes and retail fashion outlets will be allowed to operate from 9AM to 10PM.
Furniture, goldsmith, electric and electronic, stationery, hardware, animal food and optical shops can operate from 10AM to 8PM and car repair and spare parts shops business hours will be set from 8AM – 9PM.
According to the Kuching CMCO SOP, wet market will be allowed to operate from 6AM – 6PM with fresh markets given time to operate from 7AM – 10PM.
For food businesses like restaurants, eateries, hawker stalls and kiosks, they will be able to take dine-in customers from 7AM to 10PM.
However, these food businesses must inform the number of customers they can entertain during a certain time with social distancing rules enforced.
The social distancing rules term that tables must be arranged two meters apart from each other and each table must not have more than 4 persons.
You can download the full SOP mentioned above here.
