Do not shut us down, say Malaysia's Ramadan bazaar vendors
Street food vendor Ilyas Muhammad has been selling apam balik pancake at the gross annual Ramadan bazaar at Kelana Jaya, Selangor for almost yearly since 1999. The only exception was in 2020, when the COVID-19 pandemic led to physical bazaars being banned in the united states. However, bazaars have already been allowed to operate generally in most places this year, and business owners like Ilyas have lauded the move. "I'm grateful to be back this year, it's a crucial source of income for me personally," said Ilyas. "
Ramadan does not feel like Ramadan without the bazaar, and if we stay focused on adhering to the SOPs (standard operating procedures to prevent spread of COVID-19), I don't understand why we can not continue," added the 37-year-old. It's been greater than a week in to the fasting month and there were concerns that the Ramadan bazaars could exacerbate the COVID-19 situation.
Photos of huge crowds, with persons standing near each other, have gone viral on social media and these have sparked fears that your choice to permit bazaars could bring about a surge in cases. The daily number of infections in Malaysia has hovered at a lot more than 2,000 cases daily, more than the same period in 2020 when it had been mostly in double-digits.
On Thursday (Apr 22), Malaysia recorded 2,875 new cases and 7 deaths, bringing the total infections to 384,688 and the death toll to 1 1,407. Yet, bazaar vendors in the Klang Valley interviewed by CNA maintain that if visitors and companies abide by the SOPs, it could be safe for bazaars to keep for all of those other fasting month.
