Hair salons, barbers, pasar malam to reopen with strict rules
UPDATED 3.47PM | CORONAVIRUS | Defence Minister Ismail Sabri Yaakob today announced that hair and beauty salons and would be allowed to reopen from June 10 onwards.
Likewise, he said, morning markets (pasar pagi), night markets (pasar malam), bazaars and other similar open-air markets would be allowed to reopen, effective June 15....
UPDATED 3.47PM | CORONAVIRUS | Defence Minister Ismail Sabri Yaakob today announced that hair and beauty salons together with barbershops would be allowed to reopen from June 10 onwards.
Likewise, he said, morning markets (pasar pagi), night markets (pasar malam), bazaars and other similar open-air markets would be allowed to reopen, effective June 15.
He acknowledged that there might be concerns amid the Covid-19 pandemic but gave assurances there would be strict guidelines.
"We will take action if they do not comply with the standard operating procedure," he told a press conference in Putrajaya today.
Noting that the hair and beauty salon sector rakes in about RM13.5 billion a year for the country's GDP, Ismail Sabri said this sector involves about 74,500 people from 16,728 registered businesses.
Under the new regulations, the allowed activities include basic haircuts and hair wash, shaves for beards and moustaches, hair treatments, manicure and pedicure as well as facial wash and treatment.
For individuals above 60 years old, who are considered a high-risk group for Covid-19, it is compulsory for them to make an appointment for haircuts. During their appointments, no other visitors from other age groups can be allowed to be present, Ismail Sabri said.
As for children below 12 years old, parents are allowed to be present but they would have to wear face masks and disposable aprons.
For the employees themselves, they must wear face shields as well as disposable aprons, which must be changed after every customer.
Every customer must also be provided with a disposable apron. Reusing towels is not allowed either, he said.
The salon chairs must also be kept separated with a minimum distance of two metres.
When asked about house calls for hairdressers, Ismail Sabri said once hair salons are reopened, house calls will also be allowed.
He said it would be safer for hairdressers to make house calls as there would be fewer mixing of customers inside a house.
Meanwhile, open-air markets and morning markets will be allowed to operate from 6am to 11am, whereas night markets can operate from 4pm to 10pm while bazaars can operate from 5pm to 11pm, Ismail Sabri said.
Other SOPs include a distance of 1.5 to two metres between each stall and the location of the markets needed to be in an open but gated area.
This is to control the foot traffic into and out of the markets, to ensure that this is only one-way. He explained that there can only be one entrance and one exit for each market.
Food vendors will only be allowed to do takeaway business, he said.
All vendors must wear personal protective equipment (PPE), gloves and face masks. It is also compulsory for all vendors and patrons to use MySejahtera, the application developed by the government to assist in managing the Covid-19 outbreaks in the country, he added.
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