GEORGE TOWN, Feb 25 — All employees of the Penang Island City Council (MBPP) will be required to self-test for Covid-19 every week from February 28 after 112 staff were found positive over the last four days.

Previously, the city council staff were only required to take self tests every two weeks.

MBPP Mayor Datuk Yew Tung Seang said 72 out of the 112 active cases were frontline staff.

“This is worrying and to ensure that our services are not affected, we have to take strict actions to prevent more staff from being infected,” he said in a virtual press conference after chairing the full council meeting at the City Hall today.

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He said 34 cases were recorded last Monday, followed by 12 cases on Tuesday. The number of staff who tested positive for Covid-19 rose to 36 cases on Wednesday, dropping to 20 cases yesterday.

“Our team conducted a forensic investigation into the cases within the city council and found that a majority of the cause was due to negligence,” he said.

He said many of those who tested positive had been found to be complacent as they did not adhere to physical distancing SOPs and did not wear their masks properly when they were with their friends or at eateries.

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He said the council’s internal audit and enforcement team will monitor all staff; those who didn’t wear their masks properly will face disciplinary action.

“With immediate effect, all MBPP staff are now required to conduct the RTK self test once a week on every Monday.

“The city council will provide the RTK self test kits to all staff, including councillors, so that everyone can conduct the self test on Mondays and those who are positive can be isolated immediately,” he said.

But Yew also advised city council staff who can afford it to undergo the self-test twice a week, with the second test on Thursday.

He added that the city council will also be reducing its physical meetings and switching to virtual meetings such as the virtual press conference today.

He also urged all ratepayers and those with dealings with the city council to do so through the city council’s website to reduce crowding at MBPP counters on the day of the deadline.

The current assessment rate has to be paid by February 28.

“We have over 109 services that are available online and 199 payment services that can be conducted online,” Yew said.

The full council meeting has approved a rebate on this year’s assessment rates for all properties on the island.

All low-cost, low-medium cost and kampung houses will be given a 100 per cent rebate from the differences of the assessment rate increase in 2020. This meant that the property owners need only pay the same rates as before 2020.

As for other categories of properties, they will be given a rebate of 50 per cent from the differences of the assessment rate increase in 2020.

Yew said the city council will lose RM11.6 million in revenue from this rebate.