KUALA LUMPUR: Shopping malls, which were usually bustling with activity during lunch time on Fridays, saw a different kind of crowd yesterday.
Many patrons were seen pushing carts filled with groceries, while others were carrying bags of take-away meals.
Restaurants in Mid Valley Megamall, normally packed with customers during lunch, were empty save for staff doing cleaning or preparing food.
The Chicken Rice Shop store manager Siti Hajar Ariffin, 35, said orders for deliveries and take-aways yesterday had increased, compared with the first two days of the Movement Control Order (MCO).
"Since opening at 10am, we've been busy packing food, as orders were coming in non-stop," she told the New Straits Times.
As one of the top-performing outlets in Klang Valley, Siti Hajar said she was grateful that the public were allowed to go to restaurants to buy take-out.
She said the government's decision to allow this will help restaurants and other businesses survive.
However, she expressed worry that her staff will be financially affected if the MCO is extended.
"Our working roster is prepared daily. As it is, we are already cutting down on the number of people rostered to work daily.
"Before this, I could have 18 to 20 people working daily, but now I can only have nine on the roster, including two managers.
"The staff therefore take turns to work. If the MCO continues, I'm afraid that we will have to let some of them go," she added.
Siti Hajar said all her employees go through regular screening before starting work, including being tested for Covid-19, as required by the mall's management.
"Staff on duty have their temperature taken three times a day, and they are encouraged to stay in the outlet, even during their break, to minimise any risk of getting infected."
Meanwhile, Nando's employees are required to wear face masks provided by the company and to put on gloves while handling food.
Nando's Mid Valley assistant manager Farhana Khan said that their tables, seats and kitchen are sanitised every hour, even if no dine-ins are allowed.
She described MCO 2.0 as being "very different" from the first phase last year, adding that the public already know what to expect.
"For this MCO, the public are already accustomed to the standard operating procedures (SOP).
"Business is better during this MCO compared with the previous one as people are allowed to go
out and buy take-away meals, instead of just relying on deliveries."
Farhana said the mall management had made it easier to manage traffic in the mall by having all food delivery riders collect packed meals at designated points.
"So you won't see Grab or Foodpanda riders walking around the mall to pick up food.
"Instead, our staff will go to these designated places to drop them off. This decreases contact between mall staff and patrons, thereby lessening the risks."
Pravinh Raj, 29, who was at Mid Valley to get his weekly groceries, said he took the opportunity to buy essentials as he knew there would be less customers during the MCO.
The bank employee said he usually did his grocery shopping at Mid Valley as it was close to his home.
"I usually come during weekends but since the MCO started, I decided to go on a weekday when there are less people.
"There were not many people inside (the supermarket), so it was quite comfortable to shop.
"Everything I needed was available," said Pravinh, who lives with his wife and brother-in-law.
Parking spots were plentiful in Citta Mall, where nearby office workers come for lunch.
Aaron Phang, 36, who was waiting for his take-away at a Thai restaurant there, noticed a significant decrease in customers compared with normal days.
"My colleagues and I usually come to Citta Mall for our lunch."
The business analyst added that he prefers food delivery as he normally does not have time to cook.