Shopping malls listed under the Hotspots Identification for Dynamic Engagement (HIDE) early warning system have temporarily closed their premises starting today until Tuesday (May 11).
The malls concerned issued a notice via their social media platforms to inform of the temporary closure.
The closure was in line with the latest announcement by Senior Minister (Security Cluster) Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob, who announced that premises flagged under HIDE would be closed for three days with immediate effect to curb the spread of Covid-19.
1 Utama Shopping Centre, in a Facebook post, said the mall would undergo sanitisation exercises during the period.
“1 Utama remains continuously compliant to strict safety standard operating procedures, and every care is taken to ensure our unwavering commitment to you.
“We shall be monitoring the situation closely and welcome you back to 1 Utama when we announce our reopening.
“Till then, keep your spirits up, and we shall see you soon in good health.”
Also temporarily closed its premises were Suria KLCC and Sunway Pyramid.
Suria KLCC, in a Facebook post, has thanked its patrons for their cooperation, as the shopping mall actively focuses on the evolving health and safety procedures.
Sunway Pyramid said during the period the mall will undergo deep sanitisation as part of the HIDE’s requirement.
“We will continue to work closely with the authorities and provide the latest updates from time to time. Please stay tuned to Lion’s FB updates for the latest developments.
“We’re in this together, and together, we can get through this.”
On Friday, the government published the first list of premises flagged as potential Covid-19 hotspots that were identified through HIDE.
Science, Technology, and Innovation Ministry Minister Khairy Jamaluddin said the list’s publication would help the public make reasonable travel plans and decisions before heading to a location or venue to avoid risks of getting infected by Covid-19.
Among the shopping malls in Kuala Lumpur that were also in the list include Bangsar Shopping Centre, Bangsar Village 2, KL Eco City Mall, Melawati Mall, Mid Valley Megamall, Sungei Wang Plaza and Sogo Complex, among others.
In Selangor, among the shopping malls in the HIDE’s list were Aeon Mall Rawang, Central i-City Mall, Main Place Mall, Plaza Shah Alam, Paradigm Mall and Subang Parade.
Meanwhile, all public transport stations and terminals, such as LRT stations, on HIDE’s list will remain open, said the Transport Ministry.
This came after three LRT stations were identified as potential hotspots yesterday, and the National Security Council (NSC) subsequently declaring all premises identified by Hide will have to close for three days with immediate effect.
The three stations listed are KLCC, Masjid Jamek, and KL Sentral.
However, while the stations will remain operational, shops located at the premises will be closed.
“Keeping public transport services running is crucial for the country, especially for frontliners who must rely on their continued operations even during the movement control order (MCO) in Selangor and Kuala Lumpur.
“In the event of an emergency, it is important that all public transport stations remain open to evacuate or dispatch emergency medical services to our passengers,” the ministry said in a statement.
The government has touted the Hide system as being able to predict whether certain premises or areas might turn into a Covid-19 hotspot.
This is done through forward and backward contact tracing propelled by big data analysis and artificial intelligence.
Early yesterday, the government said locations flagged by HIDE only need to put in place measures to ensure stricter standard operating procedure (SOP) compliance.
However, the NSC later said premises identified by HIDE need to close immediately for three days.
There was some confusion late last night when the NSC sent out an infographic saying that the closure would be effective Monday, but shortly after midnight, this was reverted to it being immediate.