Kapitan Tan Yit Sheng
KUCHING (June 11): The government has been asked to consider allowing dine-in services for coffee shops but with a reduced capacity.
In making the suggestion, Kuching Coffeeshop and Restaurant Owners Association committee member Kapitan Tan Yit Sheng said coffeeshops offer a more open space, which could allow employees from economic sectors that fall under the essential services category to have their meals.
“I did notice that after dine-in was disallowed, other Covid-19 clusters involving workplaces and factories emerged. This could be due to the reason of employees having takeaways and taking their meals in the office where I’m pretty sure they share some light moments like chit-chatting.
“So I suggest the government allow dine-in, maybe reduce the capacity from 50 to 30 per cent to ensure better physical distancing,” he said when contacted by The Borneo Post on whether the current Movement Control Order (MCO) should be extended.
He further proposed the government limit diners to two persons per table, regardless of the size of the table.
“No doubt that dine-in has its risks because people need to take off their face masks to have the meal and they chat too.
“But when dine-in is disallowed, many employees have to do takeaways and have the meal at the office, which is a confined space, thereby leading to the emergence of workplace clusters,” he added.
Tan said he hoped the MCO will not be extended beyond June 14 and suggested the government lock down infected areas rather than enforcing a blanket MCO.
The number of daily Covid-19 cases in Sarawak has not dropped below 400 since Hari Raya Aidilfitri celebration last month.