Dr May Then earnestly hoped the government would prioritise her industry in the vaccination programme as they had suffered the brunt of the pandemic.
KUCHING (June 16): Like others in the business community, the Sarawak Association of Spa, Reflexology and Wellness Operators is seeking the government’s assistance and understanding in coping with the challenges posed by the Covid-19 pandemic and extension of the Movement Control Order (MCO).
Its president Dr May Then earnestly hoped the government would prioritise her industry in the vaccination programme as they had suffered the brunt of the pandemic.
“Aside from the airline and tourism industry, our spa and reflexology industry is the worst affected sector throughout this pandemic and we have sacrificed so much for the past over one year,” said Then to The Borneo Post, saying no assistance was offered to the industry so far.
Dr May Then
Since the pandemic began March last year, Then said the spa and reflexology outlets in the state were only allowed to operate for less than 160 days and were instructed to close for about 320 days.
She pointed out their centres were only allowed to operate from July 7 to Oct 27 last year, Dec 8 to Jan 10 this year and from March 28 to April 19 this year.
“For this year alone, we only opened our business for about five weeks. I think it would be fair if our industry is prioritised in the vaccination programme and be allowed to open once the MCO has been lifted.”
Then appealed to the State Disaster Management Committee and the state Ministry of Local Government and Housing to engage the association in charting the future for the industry to reopen.
She remarked that their members’ outlets did not mind if MCO was extended for another month as long as all economic sectors were shut at the same time for a period to battle the pandemic.
“We want to fight this pandemic together but please do not shut our industry only when other sectors continue to operate. It’s unfair as if requesting our industry to mainly shoulder the responsibility in bringing down the Covid-19 cases for the entire state.”
Meanwhile, Level Up Fitness, a home-grown fitness chain, founder Kenny Sia said businesses like gymnasiums were already facing low cash reserves and staff morale, as well as rising debt.
“MCOs are temporary measures necessary to buy the health sector some time to cope with the surges in cases, but I don’t think any Sarawakian is hoping for extending MCOs forever,” said Sia to The Borneo Post.
Kenny Sia
He said businesses now only wished to survive through the pandemic and not to make profits for the time being.
“I call on the government to look at the track record of Sarawakian gymnasiums, despite the incorrect classification as high risk.”
Although appearing on the Covid-19 exposure list five times in May, Sia said no outbreaks or transmission had occurred at the fitness outlets, mainly to the stringent capacity controls and protocols in place.
Sia thus urged the state government to manage the pandemic based on scientific data and to implement a two-week shutdown on businesses that caused Covid-19 outbreaks instead.