GEORGE TOWN, March 22 — The Penang Island City Council (MBPP) will be limiting the number of customers entering the premises of wet markets on the island from Tuesday onwards.
In a statement today, the city council said there will only be one entrance and exit point for each wet market.
“Traders in the markets will have to set up a business rotation schedule throughout the movement control order period to reduce the number of traders and customers going into the markets,” it said.
It said only two people are allowed to be near each market stall or counter at any one time.
The city council has put up social distancing markers in 10 markets on the island for customers to stand at one metre apart while queuing to enter the market or to buy items.
“All market associations have been asked to prepare hand sanitisers at each stall in the markets,” it said.
During this period, slaughtering of poultry has also been banned in all wet markets.
“They can only sell dressed poultry in the wet markets,” it said.
These new restrictions will be effective from Tuesday onwards and if any of the markets failed to comply with the new restrictions, the market will be ordered to close immediately.
All roadside stalls in Air Itam, Jelutong, Bayan Baru and Perak Road were ordered to close from today onwards.
The city council today extended the closure order to the roadside stalls in the Pulau Tikus market which will be effective from Tuesday.
In the last five days, the city council has conducted checks on a total 2,252 premises in George Town to ensure compliance with the MCO.
The compliance percentage by businesses and traders were at 72 per cent on the first day on March 18 and gradually increased over the last few days to 90 per cent today.
The city council also checked on the four main hotspots, namely the wet markets in Air Itam, Jelutong, Perak Road and Bayan Baru, today.
It found that Bayan Baru and Jelutong markets were in full compliance while improvement was needed in terms of enforcing social distancing for market-goers in Air Itam and Perak Road.
The city council also called on supermarkets to take the initiative to limit the number of people within their premises at any one time.
It also noted that hypermarkets such as Tesco, Giant, Aeon, Mydin, Econsave and Sunshine have sufficient supply of daily necessities and food items so people could go to these places instead of crowding the wet markets daily.
