Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin said table distancing, social distancing, registration of customer contacts, and face masks for workers would be the new norms of dine-in from Monday.

 All dine-in customers must be prepared to give contact details as well as practice social distancing under the conditional movement control order (MCO). He said under the conditional MCO, all food and beverage outlets could now open for dine-in provided they strictly follow conditions set by the authorities. He, however, said it was better not to dine-in.

Restaurants will be allowed to operate from 6am to 11pm, but dine-in only from 7am to 10pm.

“I want to give a simple example. From May 4, Pak Salleh can reopen his restaurant.

“In the next two days, he can start cleaning his restaurant, wash his cutlery and cooking pots and other cooking utensils, arrange the tables and chairs and buy his raw materials.

“Make sure the tables are set 2m apart. It is important for a space wide enough to allow the customers and workers to move and there is space for customers to eat safely.

“To ensure social distancing while dining, Pak Salleh can put notices on each table whether it is for one, two or three persons, depending on the size of the table. Pak Salleh decides, ” said Muhyiddin.

There must also be social distancing at payment counters, as well as hand sanitisers and table disinfectants.

“On the day the restaurant is opened, check the temperature of customers before they are allowed to enter.

“Take down the name and phone numbers of customers and record the time and date of their visit to the restaurant. This is important to allow contact tracing if there is a Covid-19 positive case involving customers.

“If you are still feeling cautious, do not dine-in. This is perhaps better, ” he said.

As for those returning to work, but worry about sending their children to nurseries and childcare centres, which will also be allowed to open, Muhyiddin suggested that employers be more lenient with parents.

He said that employers should look into flexi hours and working from home to make it easier for those without babysitters.

The Prime Minister urged employers to be more considerate to employees with children as kindergartens and schools were still closed under the conditional MCO.

“Even though most of the economic sectors will be opened, employers can encourage workers to work from home. This is the new norm. Perhaps they can work (from office) on alternate days.

“This will also solve the babysitting problem. Even though nurseries will be opened with standard operating procedures for health safety, I know many parents are worried about sending their children.

“If employers can be more lenient with couples to come to work alternately, this will solve the childcare problem..

“This way, children need not be sent to nurseries, except for those with no other option. This will also lessen the number of children at childcare centres and it will be easier to practise the health SOPs, ” said Muhyiddin.