GEORGE TOWN, March 24 — Penang has set limited business hours for all essential services shops in the state starting tomorrow as an additional step to enforce the movement control order (MCO).
Penang Chief Minister Chow Kon Yeow said all businesses in Penang can only operate from 6am to 8pm daily effective tomorrow.
“We decided on this time limit based on the operation's routine appropriate to business premises in Penang,” he said.
Chow urged Penangites to be patient throughout the MCO especially with more restrictions introduced during this period.
Chow said the police have now reported a 90 per cent rate of compliance of the MCO in the state.
“In comparison, the nationwide compliance rate is at 92 per cent so I think Penang can do better to increase the compliance rate to above 90 per cent,” he said.
He said the target is to reach 100 per cent compliance even if it is not achievable but everyone should aim to reach this compliance rate.
He hoped the public and all state authorities and agencies will work together to increase the compliance rate in the state.
As for the issue of crowds continuing to throng wet markets, Chow said the latest briefing from the local authorities revealed that the situation in the markets has improved.
“The local authorities have enforced steps to improve the situations in the wet markets such as ensuring social distancing and we need the public's cooperation to adhere to the social distancing rule,” he said.
Earlier, Chow said Penang has now recorded 66 Covid-19 cases from the 1,518 cases reported nationwide.
“If according to districts, there are 19 cases in northeast district on the island, seven in southwest district on the island, nine in North Seberang Perai, 22 in Central Seberang Perai and nine in South Seberang Perai,” he said.
He hoped that in future the statistics issued by the health department will continue to list out the number of cases according to districts.
