Singapore — Fast-food giant McDonald’s announced on Thursday (April 30) that it is staying closed beyond May 5, the date its stores were scheduled to reopen.

In a Facebook post from the brand’s Singapore operations, it said it would see customers “soon, just not on May 5”.

An outbreak of Covid-19 among seven of its workers across several branches early in April caused a storewide closure on April 19, upon the advice of the Ministry of Health (MOH).

And while McDonald’s says it is allowed to reopen starting from May 4 under the essential services framework, it has decided to stay closed for “a little longer for the safety and well-being of our employees and customers”.

The fast-food brand said it will be monitoring the situation in the community before deciding when to resume operations.

“Our frontline employees are important to us and we wish for all of them to stay home a little longer. They can also be rest assured that their jobs are secure, and that they will be paid their salaries during this temporary closure,” its Facebook post read.

The company had already assured its more than 10,000 workers before shutting down last month that they would be paid their salaries during the closure.

McDonald’s also announced that the seven employees infected with Covid-19 were on the road to recovery and it thanked well-wishers on their behalf.

The post announcing that McDonald’s would not open yet has gone viral, with thousands of shares.

Those commenting on the announcement expressed support for the fast-food giant, with some doing so in a humorous way

There was even a message of support from a former employee.

/TISG

Read related: KFC, Burger King sales surge after McDonald’s closes temporarily

KFC, Burger King sales surge after McDonald’s closes temporarily