KUALA LUMPUR, April 16 — When the movement control order (MCO) was extended two weeks ago, taxi driver Saravanan stopped taking passengers and took up part-time delivery work.
Saravanan has been delivering groceries within the 10km radius of Jalan Munshi Abdullah, which came under enhanced MCO (EMCO) on March 30 after several Covid-19 cases were detected in the area.
“I stopped taking passengers when more positive cases were reported,” he said, explaining that he could make the shift as his taxi firm waived vehicle rental fees until the MCO was over.
“But I had to do something to earn enough to support my family. So I took up this delivery job,” he said when met by Malay Mail at the entrance of the Menara City One condominium which is currently part of the Jalan Munshi Abdullah lockdown.
Now, he is among those responsible for keeping residents in the area supplied as they may not be able to leave their homes, with the area is still under the EMCO.
Despite the apparent risks, Saravanan said he felt safer doing delivery work compared to taking on passengers.
He said he only has to send the groceries and essentials into the compound and collect payments from residents, as opposed to being in an enclosed area with strangers.
“The company that I’m working for is a shop where residents in Menara City One, Selangor Mansion and Malayan Mansion frequent,” he said, referring to three buildings placed under individual EMCOs.
“So they will make a call to place their orders, the workers at the shop will pack their items and I will send them to the respective customers.”
Although he is worried about being infected with Covid-19, Saravanan said the company has equipped its staff with basic protective items including face masks, gloves and hand sanitisers.
He also said the risks he was taking daily were necessary given the economic crisis brought about both by the pandemic and the efforts to contain it.
“Everything is very badly affected by the virus outbreak. We are doing all we can to survive,” he added.
A sub-letter in Grand Orchard Hotel who only wanted to be known as Zulaiha said she now has nine foreign guests under her care.
“Before this they were not part of the EMCO area, but starting today they are. But there are certain food items provided for which they can’t eat, so I came today to send some supplementary food items,” she said when met.
Zulaiha explained that she was helping in her own capacity as her guests could not return home as their home country is also on lockdown.
“I will be sending them food as and when they run out of food until April 28,” she added.
Aside from the three buildings, authorities have also put Jalan Masjid India and areas in its vicinity under an EMCO.
Although all businesses within the vicinity of the EMCO order must cease operating, restaurant ABC Bistro has not stopped serving its regular customers there.
“We have a shop in the area (Masjid India), but after the EMCO was enforced we have to shut our restaurant.
“Today we got 25 orders from residents in Menara City One. What we did was, we cooked from our branch outlet in KL Sentral that is currently opened for deliveries only,” said a restaurant staff who wanted to be known as Raju.
According to Raju, only one person is allowed to enter the premises to deliver the food orders.
“Although the authorities were strict inside, they were very helpful in assisting us while we delivered food to the residents,” he added.
Raju said food deliveries are only allowed at the ground floor and residents would pick the food from a designated collection area.
As of April 15, the areas in the vicinity of Masjid India have been added to EMCO enforced zones.
The fifth EMCO area involves Jalan Tuanku Abdul Rahman, Jalan Dang Wangi, Jalan Tun Perak, Jalan Melaka and Jalan Ampang, after an earlier EMCO on Selangor and Malayan Mansion.
Over 10,000 residents living in the area has been affected by the move, including 6,000 in Selangor Mansion and Malayan Mansion flats, 3,200 residents in City One Plaza, and nearly 1,000 more living in shophouses in the area.
Malay Mail quoted Health Director-General Datuk Dr Noor Hisham Abdullah yesterday that the EMCO on Jalan Masjid India and its vicinity was to allow for active cases detection among high-risk groups there, linked to the Seri Petaling tabligh event.
On Monday, Dr Noor Hisham said Covid-19 infections at Menara City One and Malayan Mansion remained at 39 and four cases, respectively, while Selangor Mansion added one new infection to bring its total to 83.
