THE local authorities – Penang Island City Island (MBPP) and the Seberang Perai City Council (MBSP) – are all geared up to ensure that the compulsory standard operating procedure (SOP) is complied with at public places.
State Local Government, Housing, Town and Country Planning Committee chairman Jagdeep Singh Deo said since the Federal Government has made wearing a face mask mandatory from Aug 1, the state government has been working towards a 100 percent compliance.
“As of Aug 1, based on the inspections by both the local councils at crowded markets on the island as well as the mainland, we’ve found out that the compliance rate with the new SOP is really good.
“Out of the crowded 14 markets on the island, eight showed a 100 percent compliance rate while the rest achieved 90 percent.
“On the mainland, eight out of 11 markets achieved a 100 percent compliance rate while the remaining three scored above 90 percent,’’ Jagdeep told reporters when he visited the Jelutong Market on Aug 2.
He also urged the Federal Government to give a clearer guideline on wearing mask at crowded public places.
He added that a total of 43 notices had been issued by MBPP to traders at six public markets for failing to wear face mask while three customers at two public markets on the island were prohibited from entering the premises without mask.
Jagdeep said the MBPP, together with the police, had conducted a two-day inspection (Ops Mega Pematuhan SOP PKPP COVID-19) from July 25 to 26 to check on compliance rate at the premises on the island.
“A total of 113 compounds (RM1,000 each) were given to 26 premises and 87 individuals under the Prevention and Control of Infectious Diseases Act 1988 for failing to comply with various SOPs, such as physical distancing and body temperature check,’’ he said.
Jagdeep said until July 31, Penang island generally recorded a good compliance level of 99.7 percent from 187,740 inspections conducted by MBPP.
On the mainland, he said MBSP recorded a compliance rate of 99.35 percent from 422,676 inspections it conducted.
Batu Lancang assemblyman Ong Ah Teong, who was also present at the press conference, hoped that the Federal Government would consider lowering the price of face mask for the lower income group (B40).
Ong and his service team distributed 2,200 masks to the marketgoers at Jelutong Market and Perak Road Market on Aug 2.
Story by Tanushalini Moroter
Pix by Alissala Thian