Covid-19: DBKL not closing public parks just yet

KUALA LUMPUR: Kuala Lumpur City Hall (DBKL) has no plans yet to close the public parks under its jurisdiction despite the steady rise in the number of new Covid-19 cases.

Mayor Datuk Seri Mahadi Che Ngah said any decision on the matter would be made based on guidelines from the Federal Government.

"The Health Ministry has consistently provided updates on the Covid-19 situation. As a local authority, we will follow them if there's any directive issued at the federal level," he said when met on Saturday (Feb 19).

Separately, Mahadi said the Hari Raya Aidilfitri bazaar at Lorong Tunku Abdul Rahman will proceed this year and added that the usual Covid-19 standard operating procedures would apply.

"We carried out the balloting for the traders last month. We have also collected the payments for licence, cleaning cost and deposit," he said when met at the launch of the "Karnival Oh Kuala Lumpur" at Taman Botani Perdana.

Last year, the annual bazaar was divided into four separate sections starting from Campbell Complex to the Malayan Mansion in Jalan Masjid India.

Visitors to each section were given a tag, which they must return before exiting and they must queue again and obtain another tag to enter another section.

The mayor said DBKL would close down the bazaar if Covid-19 clusters emerged there.

Mahadi however added that DBKL would consider relaxing the SOP at the site this year.