Malls with Covid-19 cases can still open as long as disinfection done, says Dr Noor Hisham

KUALA LUMPUR, Sept 29 — Health Director-General Tan Sri Dr Noor Hisham Abdullah today clarified that shopping malls where Covid-19 positive cases have been detected can keep their doors open for business, as long as proper disinfection of the premises has been conducted.

He said the Health Ministry will assess the suitability of the malls based on how risky the premises are in spreading the infectious virus.

“What we do is for example if there are five cases in one area we look at the locality. We will conduct our risk assessment work and ask them to do their disinfection and sanitation process.

“However, there is also a matter of space. If it’s a large area, we can let them operate. But if it’s a small and cramped space, we will ask them to close, for example in a restaurant,” he said in his briefing today on Malaysia’s Covid-19 situation.

Several shopping centres in the Klang Valley had reported Covid-19 cases in the last two weeks, including those in high-trafficked areas like NU Sentral, Sunway Pyramid, The Link KL and Suria KLCC which is located at the base of the Petronas Twin Towers.

Last Sunday, the management of the NU Sentral shopping centre here announced a worker found positive for Covid-19, but assured the public that it has since sanitised the entire mall as a precaution.

In a Facebook post the Nu Sentral management said the MOH had immediately carried out contract tracing and that all of the employee’s close contact including other management staff underwent Covid-19 tests yesterday, with the first test results all returning negative.

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