JOHOR BARU: The Johor government has advised the organisers of a planned Chingay procession on Feb 14 in the state to cancel the event to prevent any further spread of the Covid-19 virus.
The Menteri Besar’s Office, in a statement today, said the decision was made based on a risk evaluation by the Johor Health Department.
The decision was also made due to the inability to conduct health screening on all the participants in an event of such big scale.
“Also, the organiser and the security authorities are unable to ascertain the exact number of people expected to participate in the procession," the statement read.
“The state government is of the opinion that the decision has to be taken as part of preventive measures as it is feared that the virus can be widely spread if the procession was to proceed.”
However, the statement noted that the religious rituals for Chingay on Feb 13 and 15 ccould proceed. However, the organisers have to provide a list of names and addresses of the participants to the Health Department as a precautionary measure.
The state government also advised parties and individuals not to be directly involved in the procession in order to safeguard their health.
“The state government also hopes that the people of Johor would continue to take preventive measures such as frequently washing their hands, avoiding the consumption of raw or undercooked meat products, covering the mouth and nose when sneezing or coughing, avoiding direct contact with wild animals or its meat and cages, and avoiding direct contact with individuals who show symptoms of the disease," the statement said.
The state government said it was serious in its efforts to combat the spread of the virus but the efforts would not succeed without the cooperation and support of all parties.
Chingay is held on the 21st day of the Lunar New Year and has become a national heritage event in Johor, which has been celebrated for the past 150 years.