A COVID-19 outbreak among workers in under control, the management of Aurum Theatre, a premium cinema in The Gardens Mall in Kuala Lumpur, said today. 

Public relations manager Sharmine Ishak said the seven staff members who were infected as well as their close contacts had been told to stay at home. 

He also said the affected staff members had not been in direct contact with the other workers.

“In light of the recent news about cinema staff being forced to work despite contracting the coronavirus, Aurum Theatre confirms that seven employees have been identified positive and close contacts who have received a home surveillance order (HSO) directive have been relieved of their duties immediately,” Sharmine told The Malaysian Insight.

“Affected employees are primarily support staff restricted to the back of the office and kitchen.

“We strongly assert that no staff (member who) has been identified as positive or close contacts are currently working in the cinema.”

Aurum Theatre is a boutique cinema owned by Golden Screen Cinemas.

Previously, The Malaysian Insight reported that more than 50 Aurum Theatre employees were worried about their well-being after management refused to shut operations despite an outbreak of 10 coronavirus cases among workers.

It was reported that the staff that were told to work despite many being close contacts of the infected.

A worker who spoke on condition of anonymity said she was told to self-test and clock in as usual.

Sharmine said that the management decided not to close down the entire cinema as the outbreak  did not concern the other sections or staff.
 
He said that only healthy employees were allowed to come to work and that the cinema was regularly sanitised to protect the health of the workers as well as the patrons.

“Aurum Theatre has also taken the initiative to close its restaurant for a full cleaning and sanitisation. We follow a stringent SOP process in accordance with the guidelines by the Malaysian Ministry of Health, ensuring that positive employees and close contacts indicated via the MySejahtera app are immediately relieved of their duties.

“Before starting work, Aurum Theatre staff must check-in for contact tracing, have their temperature taken, and complete a daily RTK test. The cinema is cleaned and sanitised before the start of business, after every screening, and at the close of business.

“As it is not affecting the entire cinema, the only portions that have been closed are the kitchen — for cleaning as well. The rest of the cinema staff that continue to work are not close contacts nor have they been identified as such internally or via the MySejahtera app,” he added.

The index case was a cook at the cinema and detected on February 12.

At least three more cooks subsequently tested positive. – February 20, 2022.