ALL the people must work together as a family in order to contain the coronavirus, says state Local Government, Housing, Town and Country Planning Committee chairman Jagdeep Singh Deo.
Describing the record 17,045 cases in Malaysia, including 573 cases in Penang reported yesterday as shocking, he said these are not the records that we want.
“Two days ago, it was over 15,000 cases. Suddenly it shot up to over 17,000 cases. This number is very, very disturbing.
“And it makes it all the more for us to work together as a family to fight the virus.
“We’ve to work extra hard. We don’t take the virus lightly. The virus is not taking us lightly,” Jagdeep told a press conference after conducting a spot check at Chowrasta Market today.
He again urged everyone to comply with the standard operating procedures (SOPs) and register for vaccination and free screening.
He said these measures are for the good of everyone, the family and community.
Also present at the spot check were Komtar assemblyman Teh Lai Heng, Penang Island City Council (MBPP) secretary Datuk Addnan Mohd Razali and state Health Department senior assistant director Dr S. Gunenthira Rao.
Jagdeep wholly agreed with Teh that the hawkers and traders should be given priority for vaccination by the Federal Government as they are also considered frontliners who are at risk every day while carrying out their business.
Teh said he had received complaints from some of the hawkers and traders that they have so far not received any vaccine appointment despite having registered for vaccination under the National Covid-19 Immunisation Programme since February or March.
Jagdeep said they would gather feedback on how many of the hawkers and traders at the 56 public markets in Penang who have yet to be inoculated.
Jagdeep, who had completed two doses of vaccination, himself took the RTK antigen test under the PSC-19 screening programme at the drive-thru at the Batu Kawan Stadium yesterday.
He said he wanted to show that it was also important to be screened even for those who have competed their vaccination.
He said the drive-thru programme there was a huge success as 1,481 people out of 1,688 who registered turned up for the screening.
As of yesterday, Jagdeep said a total of 13,309 people have registered for the PSC-19 screening out of which 11,330 had been tested.
He said 10,929 (96.46%) were tested negative and 401 (3.53%) were tested positive from the RTK antigen test. From the 401 cases, 126 (1.11%) were so far confirmed Covid-19 positive after taking the polymerase chain reaction (PCR) test.
Jagdeep said the free PCS-19 screening programme initiated by the Penang government would continue at six locations this week involving several state constituencies.
The six locations are for Bukit Tengah/Padang Lalang at MBSP Stadium, Jalan Betek (July 30), Pulau Betong at Dewan Balora, SK Kongsi, Jalan Balik Pulau (July 30), Sungai Bakap at Dewan Chong Kuang, Jalan Sungai Bakap (July 31), Teluk Bahang at Dewan MBPP, Teluk Bahang (July 31), Jawi/Sungai Acheh at basketball court, Jalan Bukit Panchor 1, Nibong Tebal (Aug 1) and Batu Maung at Dewan Bukit Belah, Bayan Lepas (Aug 1).
The PSC-19 screening progamme targets 40,000 people for testing with 1,000 from each of the 40 state constituencies. It is to isolate those found to be infected with the virus to prevent further spread of the disease.
He also said 1.2 million people in Penang have so far registered for vaccination under the National Covid-19 Immunisation Programme (NIP), with 613,760 having been administered the first jab.
Story by K.H. Ong
Pix by Adleena Rahayu Ahmad Radzi