Fake News! 1 Utama Says WhatsApp Text About Employee Infected With Covid-19 NOT True!

With several positive Covid-19 cases surfacing in shopping malls all over the Klang Valley, it is easier to believe when there are messages circulating around about potential cases in other places. However, it is the responsibility of recipients to double-check if the information they have received is true or not.

1 Utama has come forward with a statement on their Facebook page to clarify that there have been NO confirmed cases in the mall to date after fake messages had circulated on WhatsApp.

Along with the post, 1 Utama attached several photos of the kind of messages that have been forwarded among WhatsApp users.

“With news of covid appearing around Klang Valley, we appreciate and understand that everyone is worried. So are we,” 1 Utama wrote.

“But it really doesn’t help things by making up imaginary brother-in-laws, yi ma ku cheh (aunties), this friend that friend, to cause misinformation and mass hysteria. Fear-mongering through drama mingguans (weekly drama) is not cool.”

“Early this year, Malaysians, businesses and retailers went through many hardships during the nationwide restricted movement order; most still struggling till now. We are all still on a fragile road to recovery and it is important that we stay united to help our country and economy stay safe and continue progressing.”

1 Utama then shares the steps they are taking in order to provide their visitors with a safe environment to shop and dine-in. Some of these include:

• Convenient Health QR for contact tracing (the first mall in Malaysia to develop and launch)
• Contactless AI Thermal Scanners
• High-Efficiency Air Filters to trap 90% of airborne particles and purifying air via powerful UV Lights
• Frequent building sanitization using hospital-grade disinfectants and UV misting and fogging
• Screening checks for staff, tenants and vendors at points of entrances and delivery bays

1 Utama also gives a piece of advice to shoppers to do their part too:

• Always keep your mask on (masks are compulsory for mall entry)
• Wash hands regularly and practice good hygiene
• Social distance when queuing, avoid crowding lifts and toilets
• Lastly, please don’t yell or give frontliners like security guards or shop staff a hard time when they request temperature checks and contact tracing – they are just trying to keep you safe. Trust us, it happens a lot. ?

Always cross-check the information you receive before forwarding it to someone else to prevent unnecessary panic. What you can do is to stay safe and keep clean, especially when you’re out in public areas. 

Also read: PHOTOS: “Guess the fear is real,” KL Sentral Almost Empty During Lunch Hour