As the countries eases lockdown measures after monitoring data from vaccination progress, the government has made several changes to standard operating procedures (SOPs) for Phase One and Two under the National Recovery Plan involving the services, logistics and social sectors following positive development on the national vaccination rate.
Reported in the national media centre, Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob had said that for Phase One, the attendance at government offices would be increased to 40 per cent and is subject to instructions from the Chief Secretary to the Government, while the accounting services will now be allowed to operate at 60 per cent capacity.
He has also added that operations of mines and quarries are allowed with workers capacity of up to 60 per cent subject to SOPs for the sector. This is to meet the needs of critical projects involving repair and construction works for roads, including rural and federal roads.
“Ports, airports and the logistics sector are also allowed to operate 24 hours,” he said in a statement on NRP development.
The tweaks are further made for operations of daily and public markets which are now extended from 6am to 4pm depending on local authorities and subject to SOP monitoring by Rela members or local authorities, while the operating hours for fresh markets were from 7am to 2pm.
For Phase Two of NRP, outdoor filming activities will be allowed with strict compliance to SOPs, while the operating hours for business premises including speciality stores such as petrol stations would now be from 6am to 10pm. This changes in SOP will bode well for industries who have been lost for months without knowing when they can see any indication or resumption.
While sectors are slowly being permitted to open, parties will also have to remind themselves that the virus is still large and not to take things for granted. It only takes one careless person to cause closure potential for the whole industry as what has happened in Singapore.
