Most JB eateries opt to give dining in a pass for now

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JOHOR BARU: A majority of eateries here have opted not to open for dine-ins despite being given the green light to do so three weeks ago.

Businessman Boey Jyh Yang who runs a coffee shop near Jalan Skudai said he would allow dine-in once Covid-19 cases see a significant drop.

“Businesswise, it’s definitely better for us to allow dine-ins but we have to prioritise our own safety as there are just too many cases at the moment.

“I have four children at home aged between eight and 15. My mother, who is in her 60s, is also living with me and I do not want to put them at risk,” he said in an interview at his shop here yesterday.

Boey, 35, said he was also worried about not being able to control the crowd if he allowed dine-ins.

“It is not easy to check the vaccine certificate of our customers one by one on a busy day, especially as my wife and I are the only ones manning the shop now.

“There may be customers who refuse to cooperate or lie about their vaccination status. This will not only put us in danger but can also get us in trouble with the authorities,” he said.

Restaurant manager Suhaila Che Omar, 30, said the eatery would only consider allowing dine-ins once all of her workers were fully vaccinated.

“A majority of the workers here are fully vaccinated but there are still those who are waiting for their second dose.

“Even after all of us have been vaccinated, we’ll probably try dining in for a few days to look at the response from customers.

“We will station one or two workers at the entrance to check customers’ MySejahtera,” she said.

R. Janaki, 38, who runs a stall at a food court in Kulai, said she decided not to allow dine-ins as the district was currently a red zone area.

“I have my first dose of the Covid-19 vaccine and will be getting the second one this month.

“However, even after I am fully vaccinated, I will still not open up for dine-ins.

“I believe it is too risky to do so. I also have two young children and elderly parents at home and it’s best for me to take extra precaution,” she said.

Last month, the National Security Council announced that dining in had been reinstated for fully-vaccinated individuals from Aug 20, even for states under Phase One of the National Recovery Plan, provided that Covid-19 protocols were observed by both the eatery operators and customers.



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