PETALING JAYA: Dancing may not be allowed when nightclubs reopen on Sunday (May 15) after a two-year Covid-19 hiatus, but business leaders say that may be exactly what the ailing industry needs to get back on its feet.
While regulations for the safe reopening of nightlife are yet to be released, those in the business who have attended discussions with the health ministry say that clubbers can expect a “no dancing, no close contact” rule.
“The likely SOPs are that there will be no dancing and perhaps a situation where we will have to implement crowd control to make sure it’s not too crowded,” said David Gurupatham, the co-founder of the trade coalition Industries Unite.
“We don’t want any sudden spikes which could lead to clubs being closed again.”
The government has said that all remaining premises on the National Security Council’s negative list – namely, nightclubs – will be allowed to operate on May 15.
Gurupatham, whose coalition is made up of 120 SME associations, institutions and trade bodies, said a safe reopening of clubs would ensure stable employment for an estimated 150,000 to 250,000 workers after two years without regular work.
Jeremy Lim, vice-president of the Restaurant and Bistro Owners Association, said he had no qualms if the SOPs included a ban on dancing.
However, certain milestones could be set by which to determine when dancing could be allowed, such as a decrease in the Covid-19 infectivity rate or the hospitalisation rate.
“If there’s no dancing, for how long? And what is the criteria required for dancing to be allowed?” said Lim. “Let us know what the goalposts are.”
he said club owners should have no gripes about being forced to implement capacity limits, as the Covid-19 situation remains extremely fluid.
“As a business owner, capacity limits would represent a missed opportunity,” he said, but it must be balanced against the need for public health.
Source: https://www.freemalaysiatoday.com/category/nation/2022/05/10/no-dancing-rule-expected-when-nightclubs-reopen/