Scenes of panic-buying return to Kuala Lumpur and Selangor this week as they enter a second COVID-19 lockdown amid new waves of infections.
Major supermarkets in areas including Bangsar Village in Kuala Lumpur and Citta Mall in the Petaling Jaya district drew long queues stretching all the way to the entrance on Monday and Tuesday after the Conditional Movement Control Order, or CMCO, was announced.
The lockdown begins today and is expected to last two weeks until Oct. 27. Residents living in affected areas are not allowed to leave their homes except for essential trips to the grocery store or to buy food, and nobody is allowed to leave or enter Malaysia’s capital city and the Selangor state without a police permit. Businesses can operate as normal.
Only two people from the same household were allowed to leave their homes for grocery and food runs during the lockdown. Shoppers can only visit supermarkets within their vicinity and supermarkets were required to restrict the number of visitors to ensure safe distance.
Malaysia reported 660 new COVID-19 infections yesterday, bringing the nation’s total to 16,880. The death toll stands at 163, with four deaths in Sabah reported yesterday. Parts of Sabah entered a two-week lockdown early this month after the state reported more than 1,000 COVID-19 infections in September alone following the elections. Sabah’s lockdown is expected to end Oct. 26.
Defence Minister Ismail Sabri Yaakob announced the CMCO for Kuala Lumpur, Selangor, and Putrajaya, on Monday amid a surge of cases. A total of 378 new infections were reported in those areas in the past week.
Puchong
Puchong residents swarmed a local Tesco supermarket outlet at around 6pm yesterday, buying groceries that can hopefully last them two weeks.
Cyberjaya
Shoppers rushed to the Village Grocer supermarket outlet in Cyberjaya at around 4pm on Monday, soon after the second lockdown was announced.
Kuala Lumpur
Unusually long queues were spotted outside the supermarket at Bangsar Village in Kuala Lumpur yesterday. The lines outside of the prominent Bangsar town mall were nearly three times longer than normal.
Ampang
The situation seems calmer in Ampang with no big crowds in sight at the local 99 Speedmart when Coconuts checked at around 2pm yesterday. But the snack shelves were relatively empty.
Petaling Jaya
A long line of shoppers was seen outside the Village Grocer outlet in Petaling Jaya on Monday, just hours after the lockdown was announced.
Sunway
Sunway residents eager to get their shopping done were seen queuing outside the Jaya Grocer store near the Sunway Medical Center hospital at around 6pm on Monday.
Ampang Point
Shoppers ambushed Ampang’s Giant supermarket at around 8pm last night, with most of them rushing to the frozen food section of the outlet at Ampang Point mall along Jalan Memanda.
Mont Kiara
Mont Kiara residents flocked to the Ben’s Independent Grocer store at the Publika Shopping center yesterday, hoping to get their shopping done in time. The long queue of people stretched several meters from the supermarket entrance.
Other stories to check out:
Malaysia malls empty after new wave of COVID-19 infections (Photos)
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