Malaysia opens up partly; all foreign workers to be tested
06-May-2020 Intellasia | ABC | 6:02 AMPrint This Post馬來西亞部分商業開放;所有外國工人都要接受檢測
2020年5月6日Intellasia | ABC |上午6:02
Malaysia’s government says all foreign workers must undergo mandatory virus testing as many business sectors reopen in parts of the country for the first time since a partial virus lockdown began March 18
馬來西亞政府表示,自3月18日因部分病毒封鎖以來,某些地區的業務部門重新開業,因此所有移工都必須接受強制性病毒測試
Senior minister Ismail Sabri said coronavirus cases rose over the weekend, including a new cluster involving foreign workers at a construction site in an area near Kuala Lumpur that has since been shut down. 高級部長伊斯梅爾·薩布里(Ismail Sabri)表示,上週末病例增加,已關閉在吉隆坡附近一個建築工地,因有移工群聚感染
As a result, the government decided to “make it compulsory for all foreign workers in all sectors whether in construction, factories, commercial and including restaurants to undergo COVID-19 screening,” he said. 他補充因此,政府決定“強制所有產業的移工,無論其在建築,工廠,商業以及包括餐館須進行COVID-19檢查,”
He said employers will pay for the tests, which will begin in Kuala Lumpur and the wealthiest state of Selangor. The move appeared aimed at avoiding neighbouring Singapore’s mistake in overlooking the virus’s spread among its migrant worker population. Crowded dormitories housing foreign workers now account for nearly 90 percent of Singapore’s 18,778 infections.雇主將為檢測買單,將從吉隆坡和最富有的雪蘭莪州開始實施。此舉是避免新加坡前車之鑑,忽視移工群聚感染。現在,新加坡18778例感染病例,擠滿外國工人的宿舍病例占近90%。
Malaysia has more than 2 million registered foreign workers, and over 2 million more who have no valid documents. It has locked down several virus hot spot areas in Kuala Lumpur and a wholesale market with a large population of migrant workers. Virus cases have dropped sharply in recent weeks, but 227 new infections were reported over the weekend. Malaysia has confirmed 6,298 cases with 105 deaths.
馬來西亞有超過200萬在籍外國工人,還有超過200萬以上沒有有效證件。已封鎖了吉隆坡的幾個病毒熱點和大量移工光顧的批發市場。最近幾周病例急劇下降,但過了周末又新增了227起新病例。目前馬來西亞已確診6,298例,其中105人死亡。
The easing of the lockdown on Monday, days before it was due to end May 12, came as prime minister Muhyiddin Yassin’s government seeks to balance controlling the virus and reviving the hard-hit economy. The move has split public opinion amid fears that a sudden reopening of economic activities could spark a new wave of infections.
周一封鎖寬鬆,封鎖5月12日預計結束前幾天,當時總理穆希丁·雅辛(Muhyiddin Yassin)政府尋求方法希望同時控制病毒和恢復遭受重創的經濟。由於擔心經濟活動的突然重啟可能引發新一波感染,此舉引起了兩極的公眾輿論
Nine of the country’s 13 states, including Selangor and two impoverished rural states on Borneo island, have either refused to open up or restricted the types of businesses that can operate. More than half a million Malaysians have protested by signing online petitions calling for a more gradual easing. But Malaysian manufacturers urged all states to allow them to restart smoothly. 13個州中有9個州,包括雪蘭莪州和婆羅洲島上的兩個貧困的農村,不是拒絕重啓,就是限制了可以重啓的行業類型。超過50萬的馬來西亞人在網路請願書上簽名抗議,要求逐步放寬封鎖政策。馬來西亞製造商強烈要求所有州順利重啟各行業。
Muhyiddin has said it is time to heal the economy, which has lost billions of dollars, but businesses must follow strict health measures, and mass gatherings will still be banned. This means schools, cinemas and worship houses will stay shut, group sports are prohibited and interstate travel remains banned. Muhyiddin表示,現在是時候挽救數十億美元的經濟損失,但企業必須採取嚴格的防護措施,而且群眾集會仍然禁止。這意味著學校,電影院和禮拜堂不會重啓,禁止集體運動,並禁止不同州之間的旅行。
Government officials have defended the decision to let businesses reopen with strict conditions, noting that the lockdown has helped to slow the number of new infections and wasn’t intended to eliminate the disease. 政府官員為擁護企業在嚴峻條件下重新營業,指出封鎖已幫助減緩新病例數,並且封鎖無助於消滅疾病。
Kuala Lumpur cranked back to life early Monday, with traffic on the roads and pedestrians wearing face masks walking to their offices. Many people refrained from using public transport, with thin crowds at rail stations and on buses. 星期一早上吉隆坡恢復了活力,路上交通擁擠,戴著口罩的行人走向辦公室。許多人不使用公共交通工具,火車站和公共汽車上的人煙稀少。
“Well, I am a little bit worried because we are not using our personal vehicles but public transport. As you know, many people use public transport so there is a risk of exposure but we have to practice the right prevention method,” Nurul Syafiqah, who works in the construction industry, said in a near-empty train heading to the city.
“好吧,我有點擔心,因為我們不是用私人車輛,而是乘坐公共交通工具。如您所知,許多人因使用公共交通工具,有暴露在病毒中的危險,但是我們必須採取正確的預防方法,”服務於建築業的努魯爾·塞菲卡(Nurul Syafiqah)在開往市區的一列火車中說,車上幾乎沒人。
At a restaurant, customers registered their contact details and had their temperatures checked before being ushered to their table. 在一家餐廳,顧客採取實名制,並到餐桌前先檢查了溫度。
“With this COVID-19, I think society has changed, I think it is very difficult, not easy for the operator and also for the customer, but I think sooner or later they will get used to it,” said restaurant owner Koh Yock Heng. 餐館老闆Koh Yock表示:“因這個COVID-19,我認為社會已經發生了變化,對營運者和客戶來說都不是一件容易的事,但是我認為大家遲早會習慣它。