Penang to start Covid-19 mass screening next month

GEORGE TOWN, June 30 — The Penang state government will launch a mass Covid-19 screening exercise that will involve about 40,000 people in all 40 constituencies in the state, said state exco Jagdeep Singh Deo.

He said the Penang Covid-19 Mass Screening programme will be officially launched by the Penang Chief Minister Chow Kon Yeow on July 5.

“The first phase of the mass screening programme is from July 5 to 18 and it will involve 11 state constituencies,” he said in a press conference today.

He said the first phase will involve those living in Covid-19 hotspots within the 11 constituencies.

“We will start the rollout of phase two for other constituencies after completion of phase one,” he said.

Jagdeep said it is important to conduct mass screenings now to identify positive cases and stop the transmission of Covid-19 cases. 

“The vaccination process is not complete and less than 20 per cent of those who have registered have been vaccinated,” he said.

He said there is a gap between registration and vaccination so mass screening is important now to immediately isolate positive cases before it can spread.

The mass screening programme will be launched at the City Stadium next week for those living in four constituencies, namely, Sungai Pinang, Padang Kota, Datuk Keramat and Pulau Tikus.

“We will ensure that those requiring screening will be prioritised in the mass screening and we have finalised the priority categories for screening and conveyed this to the respective state assemblymen to coordinate,” he said.

He said all state assemblymen will be roped in to facilitate the mass screening, including registering those prioritised to undergo the screening. 

Earlier, Chow said the mass screening is fully funded by the state government using the Antigen rapid test kit (RTK-Ag).

Those interested may register with their respective state assemblymen and the state is developing an app at penangsaring.selangkah.my for Penangites to register online soon.