MCO Day7

We are into the 7th Day of the Movement Control Order, imposed by the government in an attempt to mitigate the spread of the novel coronavirus. Another week to go, provided that the restriction order is not extended. It looks to me that a further extension of the lockdown is very likely because the rate of new infected cases is still on the rise.

I've found that the best representation of the Covid-19 infection curve is given by Bernama. Yesterday 23 March 2020 saw the highest single-day increase since the first discovery on 25 January 2020. There were 212 new cases, bringing the total to 1,518 persons to date. The so-called 'flattening of the curve' has not yet happened.

Infographic from  Bernama

After two consecutive days of being totally at home, I had to pop out to the supermarket because our grocery stock has run low. This time I drove alone to AEON Mall at Bandar Dato' Onn, about 15 minutes from where I live. As expected, the traffic on the roads is very light, surreal even. The open-air car park at the mall was perhaps only a quarter full. AEON had designated only a single entrance and a separate exit. At the entrance, a security guard used a thermometer to scan my temperature while another squirted hand sanitizer before allowing me to stand in line. The floor is marked with tape at regular intervals to designate the distancing requirement as advised by the health authorities. AEON controls the number of people in their store by allowing some to enter only after the corresponding number has left. Generally, most shoppers came alone and went about their business in a calm and quiet manner. No standing close to each other or clambering for stuff on the shelves. I could be having a bad BO problem and nobody would notice, hehehe. Most edible items on the shelves are adequately stocked. Only fresh eggs seem to be sold out.

In line with the government directives, only the supermarket section is open. The general merchandise sections plus all the other tenants are closed. Overall, I believe that we Malaysians are a well-mannered and compliant lot. Of course, there are few jerks who are too stubborn for their own good. God may have created all men as equals but unfortunately, some chose to be stupid on their own accord.

Take care everyone. Covid-19 is now a worldwide problem. It has become more difficult to name a country that has not been affected by it compared to those that have.

Standing in line before being allowed in

Update 25.03.2020 @ 3.00pm : The MCO is extended by another 2 weeks to 14 April 2020.