Tourism, cultural sectors in Sabah can operate from tomorrow – Masidi

KOTA KINABALU,. The Sabah government has today given flexibility for the opening of the tourism and cultural sectors effective tomorrow throughout the duration of the Conditional Movement Control Order (CMCO) in the state.

State Local Government and Housing Minister Datuk Masidi Manjun said the presence of visitors would be limited to 50 per cent of the size of the premises with physical distancing in order to curb the spread of COVID-19.

“For sectors involving stage shows, this is allowed but without the presence of spectators. The sports and recreational sector, including water sports, will be allowed to operate in stages from January,” he said in a statement today.

Masidi, who is also the Finance Minister II and Sabah’s official COVID-19 spokesman, said that for areas placed under the Enhanced Movement Control Order (EMCO, no sports or recreational activities would be allowed.

He said the state government had also agreed to allow Christians to perform prayer ceremonies on Dec 24 and 25 in areas placed under the CMCO and Recovery Movement Control Order (RMCO), with compliance of the stipulated standard operating procedure (SOP).

Christmas celebrations will only be allowed on Dec 25 while open houses as well as carolling from home to home in areas placed under the CMCO and EMCO are not allowed.

Meanwhile, Masidi said that the state government had agreed to extend the CMCO in the state from Dec 21 to Dec 31 based on the advice of the Ministry of Health (MOH), which expects the number of positive COVID-19 cases to continue to rise following the screening of foreign workers from Wednesday.

— BERNAMA