PETALING JAYA: Despite the fear of Covid-19 infection looming over their heads, businesses are fighting back to reignite their trade.

       After having to shut down their stores, shops and outlets for months, their main priority now is for survival.

       Businesses and retail outlets have taken a strict stance in ensuring their safety and that of their customers.

       In Johor Baru, Ronald Lim decided to open up his coffee shop for dine-in despite his fear of the Covid-19 pandemic.

       “We just have to be very careful and make sure we check the vaccination status of all of our customers who want to dine in.

       “It is time for us to return to some form of normalcy. I urge other eateries to also start allowing dine-in at their premises,” said Lim.

       Syahmi Idzham Sabudim, who manages a supermarket in Taman Daya, said most shops in the premises have started opening up slowly.

       “Some are still opting to stay closed, but a majority of them have resumed business,” he said.

       Syahmi Idzham added that customers as well as business owners were taking the necessary precautions and strictly adhered to the standard operating procedure.

       He said as an extra precautionary step, the supermarket was only allowing a maximum of 250 people into the building at one time despite being able to have twice that number based on the Health Ministry’s stipulation.

       In Klang’s Little India, restaurant manager D. Sivapathaskaran said Sri Baratha Matha Vilas, which is well known for its mee goreng, will open for dine-in at the end of the month.

       “We need to hire a few more workers to stand sentry at the main entrance to ensure patrons are fully vaccinated and have normal temperature as well as sanitise themselves well before entering the restaurant,” said Sivapathaskaran.

       He said businesses could not remain closed much longer and must move on to recover the losses incurred during the peak of the Covid-19 pandemic.

       In Kuala Lumpur, textile merchant Zulfahmi Kasma said his business began picking up since the start of September after marriages were allowed to be conducted.

       Zulfahmi said only fully vaccinated individuals were allowed entry into the premises.

       “We had a customer who only had his first dose, so we served him from outside the shop,” he added.

       In George Town, toy store manager Tan Chee Seong also said that only fully vaccinated customers were allowed to shop in the store located along Kimberley Street.

       Those who are not fully vaccinated, said Tan, have to remain outside while his staff bring out the toys for them to choose what they want.