Spas, massage centres can reopen starting July 1 - Ismail Sabri
CORONAVIRUS | Spas and massage centres can resume their operations beginning next month while trying out clothes before purchase at shopping complexes is now allowed, said senior minister Ismail Sabri Yaakob.
In announcing the government's latest decisions for recovery measures during Covid-19 pandemic, he said a special meeting between ministers earlier today also agreed to allow the organising of conventions as well as travel and trade fairs.
CORONAVIRUS | Spas and massage centres can resume their operations beginning next month while trying out clothes before purchase at shopping complexes is now allowed, said senior minister Ismail Sabri Yaakob.
In announcing the government's latest decisions for recovery measures during Covid-19 pandemic, he said a special meeting between ministers earlier today also agreed to allow the organising of conventions as well as travel and trade fairs.
"To spur the domestic tourism industry, today's ministers' meeting has agreed to approve an application from the Tourism, Arts and Culture Ministry for the resumption of operations by several tourism subsectors.
"They are for meetings, incentives, conventions and exhibitions, or Mice for short, travel and trade fairs and for spas, wellness and massage centres," he told a press conference in Putrajaya today.
However, there are strict conditions for the latter category.
He said spas, wellness centres and massage centres must be registered with the authorities while massage services are to be strictly done by local staff only.
According to Ismail, the decision was taken after considering difficulties faced by those in the wellness industries, including a recent plea by an association for the visually challenged who work at reflexology massage centres.
He said that the group had lost their income since the movement control order was enforced in March.
"Seeing the current situation, where the number of daily Covid-19 positive cases has declined, and on the advice of the Health Ministry, we agreed to allow them to resume (operations)," he said.
Workers at the centres are also required to wear face masks and prepare hand sanitiser for customers.
For the Mice and travel and trade fair subsectors, Ismail said organisers are required to limit the number of people in the venue to 250 at any given time.
Other basic rules for Covid-19 prevention such as body temperature checking, registration of attendees and social distancing also apply.
Meanwhile, to a question on the restriction against trying out new clothes and shoes before purchasing them at shops, the minister said they were allowing the practice again.
"So now you can try on the clothes that you want to buy. There won't be any more issues of buying wrong size shirts and such," he said.
Are you sure you want to delete this comment?
This action cannot be undone.