KUCHING: Considering the current Covid-19 situation in Malaysia, particularly Sarawak, it’s no surprise that many are in favour of the ban on dine-ins at restaurants and eateries.
Despite unable to enjoy their drinks and meals at their favourite eateries like the pre-pandemic days, they know that it’s for the best.
Abdul Adzim Abdul Rahim, a student, opines that it’s still risky to dine in due to the high number of Covid-19 cases.
“Allowing restaurants to allow dine-ins could result in the emergence of a new cluster, which will then add to the present number of cases, and we don’t want that.
“You can now buy food online through apps like Grab Food and Food Panda. They offer a wide range of food and drinks that you can get at any time without having to go out.”
He says ordering online saves time because customers don’t have to wait in line for their food.
Afifah Ismail, a digital content producer, believes dine-ins will draw unnecessary crowds to public areas.
“At this time, dining-in is not feasible as it may encourage people to eat out more frequently than previously.
“Now that most of us have been vaccinated, there is a chance that some people will let their guard down and disregard the Covid-19 standard operating procedures such as physical distancing.
“We can still continue to support the businesses by ordering take-outs, so there’s not much difference.”
Although ordering take-outs is not as satisfying as dining-in, she says the public need to prioritise safety.
Meanwhile, Aisyah Ali, a student, is also in favour of banning dine-ins for the time being as the risk is just too great.
“I find it risky to dine-in since we need to remove our face mask when eating, and since the virus can be spread through the air, it is dangerous for everyone to be in a confined space at the same time.
“We should only be allowed to dine in when Sarawak has achieved a green zone status. It’s better to be safe than sorry.”
She says buffet services should not be allowed at all during this period because many individuals will be touching the surfaces and potentially spreading the virus.
Similarly, Khairunnisa Iskandar, also a student, opines that dining-in, even with people sitting more than six feet apart, still poses a significant risk.
“It’s still unsafe for us to dine-in because it’s proven under certain conditions, the virus can still infect those more than six feet apart from each other.
“This is called an airborne transmission and we need to constantly be reminded that these transmissions occur within enclosed spaces that have inadequate ventilation.”
She says by opting for online deliveries, restaurants can further expand their customer base, reaching out to newer demographics who have not migrated to online services.
