KUALA LUMPUR: The Covid-19 pandemic has changed how we go about conducting our daily affairs, and it has also left its mark on how couples are celebrating their Valentine's Day.
Despite many challenges brought about by the pandemic, couples found their unique way to celebrate the special day under the new norm.
Student Belinda Lim, 21, said she was lucky as her boyfriend lives close by, and as such they were able to celebrate the special day.
She said she prefers to celebrate by dining out at restaurants as it provides a more romantic experience for both of them.
"In my opinion, dining out and at the same time protecting yourself is the best way to celebrate this year's Valentine's Day.
"I am afraid of the rising Omicron cases, but what's more frightening to me is, if I stayed (cooped up at) home for years to come because of the never-ending cases... I will end up not having a decent life," she said.
Another 21-year-old student, Victoria Soon, had a different way of celebrating the day – takeaways.
"Celebrating at home can be romantic because together, we put in the effort to prepare for the day. It can be exciting and eventful, too, because I am still celebrating with my loved one.
"He is the one that makes the day different!"
Unlike the two young Gen Z women, 50-year-old Jerome Quah, founder of Penang Jazz Society, has not celebrated Valentine's Day for the past two years due to the pandemic.
With the majority of citizens having already been vaccinated, Quah feels dining in for this Valentine's Day is the better option, despite the rising number of Covid-19 cases.
"It's not an issue to me as long as I'm following the SOPs and taking precautions when dining in this Valentine's Day," he said.
Checks at several restaurants found that couples have indeed made reservations for the big day, today
TGI Fridays kitchen manager Aini Hidayah Sadikan acknowledged reservations being made today to celebrate the special day in their restaurant.
"We are releasing a special Valentine's Day package comprising of an appetizer, two main dishes and dessert," she said.
Similarly, in Maria's Steak Café, junior waiter Eron Jegger said his restaurant was a near full house and only had some evening slots for reservations.
"There are still slots available for reservation tonight especially the 6 to 8pm slot," he said.
Meanwhile, Atmosphere 360 marketing and reservations personnel Willson Wong said the restaurant was fully booked and it was estimated around 150 people will be dining at the outlet to celebrate Valentine's Day by tonight.
"Previously the restaurant was able to accept 240 customers at a time, but now due to the pandemic, we decided to reduce the number to 150 customers," he said.
Restaurants are only allowing dine-in reservations for vaccinated customers accompanied by the mandatory MySejahtera check-ins.
Customers were also limited due to the current situation and restaurants were operated with limited capacity to ensure a safe and comfortable environment for everyone.
