Hand sanitizers provided at Imago Shopping Mall.
KOTA KINABALU: Shopping malls at the city centre have taken various initiatives to reduce the spread of the novel coronavirus (Covid-19).
In a statement released yesterday, the management of Suria Sabah said all tenants at the mall were allowed to operate on flexible hours with immediate effect from March 16 to 31.
In addition, tenants at the shopping mall were permitted to temporary close shop during this period.
The Suria Sabah management said the company had made the decisions due to the sudden and rapid development of the Covid-19 around the region, within the country, state and community.
Meanwhile, Imago Shopping Mall has undertaken a string of actions, such as specialized disinfection and placing hand sanitizers at selected locations, in effort to ensure the health of shoppers and staff.
The mall has also offered special support to tenants who are economically affected by Covid-19. Centre Point Sabah has encouraged the people to not only adopt personal hygiene but also to have a good sense of public morality when in public places, such as in shopping malls.
Its deputy general manager, Megan Liu, said that spitting, littering used paper scraps, cigarette butts, chewing gum and fruit peels in common areas would enable virus to transmit.
She urged the public to not practise these unethical behaviors, especially in the shopping malls where there are heavy footfall traffic.
“It is everyone’s responsibility to keep our community from the risks of outspread of the virus,” she said.
Liu also said that Centre Point has surveillance cameras installed in most common areas, such as the lift, corridor and fire-exit staircase. If anyone is caught committing these uncivilized acts, the management will not hesitate to take action.
In addition, she reminded those who had contact with people infected with Covid-19, or been to countries that have a Level 3 Travel Health Notice, to self-quarantine themselves and get tested. She also urged that everyone must practise virtuous ethics by not littering used masks, as well as spitting in public places in order to curb the spread of the disease.
Liu also highlighted apart from Covid-19, there are also other infectious diseases transmissible in the same ways such as Influenza A and Tuberculosis (TB). The public will need to be aware of their personal health and hygiene, and prevent from going to the mall with cough or flu symptoms.
She revealed that Centre Point will implement body temperature checking at the entrances.
The mall currently provides hand sanitizers at information counter for the public’s usage.
Meanwhile, Sutera Harbour Resort has put in place a comprehensive range of precautionary measures at each of its property to further protect and assure the health and safety of its guests and employees.
A check point is set up at each hotel lobby, The Magellan Sutera Resort and The Pacific Sutera Hotel as well security point at Sutera Harbour Marina, Golf and Country Club. Guests are expected to go through a temperature check upon arriving at the hotels prior to check-in or patronizing the restaurants and recreational facilities.
When checking in, all hotel guests are also asked to fill out a questionnaire enquiring about prior China travel or any countries that are affected by the pandemic.
The resort’s public areas, rooms, restaurants, hotel linens, dining crockeries and cutleries also go through stringent sanitation, while additional hand washing and hand sanitizing stations have been installed in public areas of the hotels and in common areas frequented by guests and employees.
Notices in public areas are in place to inform guests about the situation and protective measures they can take.