It's been quite a sombre Hari Raya for Malaysians as the entire country has been placed under the movement control order (MCO).
However, those restrictions did not stop some Malaysians from finding a loophole and celebrating the joyous occassion with their family.
Pictures of such gatherings have made their way onto social media over the long Hari Raya weekend, and the authorities are concerned.
Health Minister Dr Adham Baba told Free Malaysia Today that having family gatherings at shopping malls was a risky thing to do.
These gatherings, according to Dr Adham, could trigger a crisis in the transmission of the COVID-19 virus - something that Malaysia does not need right now.
The number of COVID-19 cases in the country had increased dramatically in the last two weeks, and with the detection of more cases involving the South African and Indian variants in the country, gathering at hotspots could spell disaster.
"There were many who had visited the (shopping) malls to meet (with their relatives and friends) after the government imposed a ban on Hari Raya gatherings (throughout the MCO).
"This can lead to another round of (health) crises if there is transmission (of the virus) at the malls. This is a clear issue that has become our main concern," he was quoted as saying.
Khairy said the list will be identified through the Hotspot Identification for Dynamic Engagement (HIDE) system.
"And the list will include places that were turned into a spot for Hari Raya gatherings for some people with their relatives," he was quoted as saying, adding that the list will be revealed by this week.
Earlier this month, the first HIDE list was released, and almost all major shopping malls in the Klang Valley were listed as potential COVID-19 hotspots.
The malls were then ordered to close for three days for sanitisation purposes.
With that in mind, it is wise to stay away from shopping malls for the time being.
However, those restrictions did not stop some Malaysians from finding a loophole and celebrating the joyous occassion with their family.
Authorities are concerned
With home visits and gatherings banned for the entire Aidilfitri period, some families have resorted to gathering at places that have been allowed to stay open during the current MCO: shopping malls.Pictures of such gatherings have made their way onto social media over the long Hari Raya weekend, and the authorities are concerned.
Health Minister Dr Adham Baba told Free Malaysia Today that having family gatherings at shopping malls was a risky thing to do.
These gatherings, according to Dr Adham, could trigger a crisis in the transmission of the COVID-19 virus - something that Malaysia does not need right now.
The number of COVID-19 cases in the country had increased dramatically in the last two weeks, and with the detection of more cases involving the South African and Indian variants in the country, gathering at hotspots could spell disaster.
"There were many who had visited the (shopping) malls to meet (with their relatives and friends) after the government imposed a ban on Hari Raya gatherings (throughout the MCO).
"This can lead to another round of (health) crises if there is transmission (of the virus) at the malls. This is a clear issue that has become our main concern," he was quoted as saying.
New list of hotspots coming soon
To combat the spike in COVID-19 cases, Science, Technology and Innovation Minister Khairy Jamaluddin told New Straits Times that the authorities will release another list of premises with potential of turning into COVID-19 hotspots.Khairy said the list will be identified through the Hotspot Identification for Dynamic Engagement (HIDE) system.
"And the list will include places that were turned into a spot for Hari Raya gatherings for some people with their relatives," he was quoted as saying, adding that the list will be revealed by this week.
Earlier this month, the first HIDE list was released, and almost all major shopping malls in the Klang Valley were listed as potential COVID-19 hotspots.
The malls were then ordered to close for three days for sanitisation purposes.
With that in mind, it is wise to stay away from shopping malls for the time being.
