LOCAL authorities in Penang have disallowed dining in eateries and coffee shops but allowed the sale of takeaway food.
This is among several drastic measures that the Penang Island City Council (MBPP) and the Seberang Perai City Council (MBSP) are taking to curb the spread of coronavirus (Covid-19) from tomorrow until March 31.
This follows the announcement by Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin yesterday of a nationwide restricted movement order from tomorrow till the end of this month.
MBPP mayor Datuk Yew Tung Seang has appealed to the public to “bear with us until 31st March”.
“We’re trying our level best to do whatever we can. The important thing is to reduce movement and avoid mass gathering,” Yew told a press conference called by state Local Government, Housing, Town and Country Planning chairman Jagdeep Singh Deo at Komtar today.
“We need the public to come forward and work together with us. If we don’t work hand in hand, we will have big trouble after this.
“We don’t allow people to sit down and dine in coffee shops. Just bear with us, it’s only a temporary measure until March 31. Our team will go down to advise them; if necessary, we will enforce the rules.”
Yew said other preventive measures include the closure of:
- existing night markets
- entertainment outlets
- theatres
- pasar tani
- pasar Ramadan
- business premises (except for essential services)
- City Stadium
- two sports complexes
- 17 community halls
- City Hall gallery
- government nursery and kindergarten
- public parks like Taman Bandaraya (Youth Park), Metropolitan Park and Taman Jajar.
He added that MBPP has also heeded the Health Ministry’s advice by cancelling almost 30 programmes or public gatherings until April 30.
They include Hari Warga MBPP, Excellence Services Award, Remembering P. Ramlee, Equal Fun Walk 2020 (in conjunction with International Women’s Day Celebration), Water Series 1 Safety and Basic Swimming Programme and Battle of the Band Youth Park Anniversary.
He said MBPP had also taken steps such as sanitising public toilets hourly during peak hours, providing hand sanitiser or soap dispenser at complexes, cleaning and sanitising doorknobs and railings that are often used by the public.
MBSP mayor Datuk Rozali Mahmud said they have decided to close public facilities such as MBSP Sports Complex in Bukit Mertajam, Seberang Jaya public swimming pool and Gymnasium Centre, Bertam Sports Complex in Kepala Batas.
MBSP, Rozali said, would also suspend their activities until April 30, such as:
- Robina Beach Cleanup Programme with Community and Schools
- Sungai Perai Nature Walk
- Upcycle Carnival
- Digital Library Inauguration
- Forest Bathing Programme at Bukit Suling
- Earth Hour in Bandar Sunway
- MBSP 2021 Budget Dialogue Town Hall Session
- MBSP Car Free Morning
- MBSP Aerobics.
Jagdeep said he was happy that both MBPP and MBSP had set up their respective task force, known as Covid-19 Crisis Management Task Force, comprising 24 councillors each and several heads of departments.
He underlined Muhyiddin’s announcement that those involved with essential services like water, energy, telecommunications, postal, transportation, irrigation, oil, gas, fuel, lubricants, broadcasting, finance, banking, health, pharmaceutical, fire, prisons, ports, airports, security, defence, cleaning, retail and food supplies would function as normal.
While steps are being taken to fight Covid-19, he said priority must be to ensure the safety of MBPP and MBSP workers.
He said new licences for night markets and entertainment premises would not be issued until the situation improves.
Instruction would also be issued to shopping malls, petrol stations and public places to clean up and disinfect surfaces in contact with visitors.
Jagdeep said the state Housing Department has also been instructed to do the same for all public housing schemes, like supplying 1,500 bottles of hand sanitiser to 212 blocks.
In an effort to increase the level of awareness of precautions towards Covid-19, he had told reporters at Chowrasta Market on March 14 that LED screens at nine locations on the island and four locations on the mainland would be displaying informing concerning the preventive measures to be taken.
In addition to this, Chief Minister Chow Kon Yeow yesterday launched the ‘Penang Lawan Covid-19’ campaign to curb the spread of misinformation and fake news regarding the disease among the community.
The latest information regarding Covid-19 is disseminated via an official Facebook account (https://www.facebook.com/ilovpg).
Story by K.H. Ong
Pix by Chan Kok Kuan