KUALA LUMPUR: Indoor activity playgrounds and kids play parks located in shopping malls are taking extra precautions to ensure that hygiene at these playgrounds are at the optimum level and safe for children.
Defence Senior Minister Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob on Wednesday announced that parents could finally take their children out to malls and indoor playgrounds, accompanied by an adult.
The announcement also meant that indoor activity centres and playgrounds could go back to operating after being closed since March 18 due to Covid-19 and the government's Movement Control Order (MCO).
Super Park Malaysia, which operates a children's play area in the Avenue K Mall in Jalan Ampang, promised to sanitise its area at least five times a day when it reopens soon.
Its senior marketing manager, Andes Wong, said in addition to the standard operating procedures (SOPs) outlined by the Health Ministry and the National Security Council (MKN), the management vowed to do more in terms of keeping the place and visitors safe by carrying out thorough sanitisation of equipment, furniture and play areas every two hours.
"The safety and wellbeing of our visitors have always been our top priority, especially safety and health involving children.
"That is the main reason behind the increased precautionary measures ."
The Super Park is one of the largest indoor playgrounds in the country with an area of 3,716 sqm and over 25 activities for both children and adults.
However, it has remained closed since the MCO.
Wong said although MKN had given the go-ahead, they still had to wait for approval from the local council before they can resume operations.
"We are ready to comply with the SOPs for the safety of everyone. In fact, we carry out regular disinfection exercises, place hand sanitisers all around the premises and put up signs to remind patrons of the SOPs. Our staff will also be on the lookout to enforce social distancing."
He added that the staff will also do walkabouts with hand sanitisers for customers.
"Some may be too engrossed in a game that they don't want to step out of it.
"The walkabout sanitiser crew will be useful for them," he said, adding that the park will be emptied every two hours to facilitate sanitising and clean-up works.
Wong said they had also revised their ticketing system and operational hours to allow more time for thorough disinfection and sanitising works.
"The revised operational hours will be from 11am to 8pm instead of the previous 10am to 9pm.
"We will divide the entry system into several sessions, and tickets too will be sold accordingly (each session is estimated to be two hours).
"We will sanitise the equipment and the entire place after each session, as well.
"Visitors must also follow the government SOPs, including having their body temperature taken prior to being allowed in and using the MySejahtera app to check in. Other than MySejahtera, we have also developed our own mobile application to register our visitors as an additional option."
He said latest details and updates on the park's reopening will be updated on their social media channels via Facebook and Instagram, as and when there are new developments.
Another indoor playground operator, Kid's E World in The Gardens Mall, shared Wong's sentiment.
Its spokesperson said they had prepared the premises according to the government's SOPs.
"We are not sure if they (MOH and MKN) are going to come up with new SOPs to add on to the present one, but we will make the changes as they come,' she said.
She added that there were no changes to the operating hours.
"However all visitors must wear a face mask at all times while at the centre and anyone who displays any symptoms will be asked to leave," she said, adding that the children must also be accompanied by an adult.
