KUALA LUMPUR - Several malls, offices, mosques and a golf resort around Malaysia have been shut down in the past few days for decontamination work and contact tracing after Covid-19 cases were detected.
The authorities have jumped into action amid a new surge in coronavirus cases in the past week, with such cases hovering around 300 a day in the past six days.
A record high of 691 daily cases were logged on Tuesday (Oct 6), the highest since Malaysia started its fight against Covid-19 in January.
There were six Covid-19 deaths recorded on Friday (Oct 9) - the highest in one day in Malaysia - to raise the total number to 152.
The six deaths were all recorded in Sabah, the epicentre of infections in the recent surge.
Selangor authorities on Saturday (Oct 10) said the popular 1 Utama shopping complex in Bandar Utama and Tropicana Golf Club and Country Resort will be closed from Sunday to check for Covid-19 transmissions, The Star online news reported.
Petaling District Disaster Management Committee chairman Johary Anuar said four positive cases were detected at the shopping complex and another five at the golf club. He said eight of the positive cases involved workers while another involved a visitor to the mall.
Setia City Mall in Selangor on Thursday said a member at a gym in the complex had self-declared as a Covid-19 positive-case.
"As part of our focus on health and safety, both Fitness First and the mall have immediately commissioned specialist deep cleaning last night (Oct 8), in addition to our frequent and diligent cleaning and disinfection procedures," the mall said in a Facebook posting.
The malls joined several others that have had Covid-19 scares as shopping centres and most businesses have progressively reopened since May.
On Thursday (Oct 8), the Selangor government shut a mosque at Malaysia's previous main airport in Subang Jaya after a man who visited it tested positive, Bernama news agency reported.
The Selangor Islamic Religious Department (Jais) has suspended religious services at the mosque until further notice.
The man performed Friday prayers there on Oct 2, with officials asking others who were there to go for health screening or to self-quarantine at home.
"According to records, the number of congregants who attended Friday prayers on that day was 1,310 persons," Bernama quoted Jais director Mohd Shahzihan Ahmad Shahzihan as saying.
A long list of places affected by Covid-19 was published on Thursday Malaysiakini news site, showing schools to housing estates, banks to restaurants needing decontamination work and contact tracing after being visited by people who later tested positive for the disease.
On his Facebook page on Friday, Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin said the Education Ministry should be able to issue an order to close any school, without awaiting for the go-ahead from the Heath Ministry, if anyone tested positive.
