GEORGE TOWN: Penang has not reported any new Covid-19 cases as the Movement Control Order (MCO) enters phase four today.
Chief Minister Chow Kon Yeow said all frontliners in the state also remained in good health.
He said the MCO compliance rate towards the conclusion of phase three had reached 97.88 per cent, with a total of 1,691 individuals arrested throughout the first three phases.
"With this, I appeal to the people of Penang to remain patient and to stay united with the state government in fighting Covid-19 for everyone's benefit.
"The state government has been functioning throughout the duration of the MCO and is prepared to face the 'Next Normal' situation.
"I want to assure the people of Penang that your state government never sleeps. We will continue to serve you and ensure the health and safety of the people of Penang as well as the resilience of our economy," he said in his daily address aired live over his official Facebook page on Wednesday.
Penang has so far recorded 121 Covid-19 cases with one death.
Chow said his state executive councillors were prepared for a paradigm shift to implement policy changes or programmes to address new situations due to the Covid-19 pandemic.
On the National Security Council's Special Session meeting on the management of Covid-19 chaired by Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin which he attended in Putrajaya on Tuesday, Chow said they were told that the green zones nationwide had increased to nearly 80 per cent with several states having been declared as completely green except for the remaining few cases which are still undergoing treatment.
"The main question raised during the meeting, based upon six guidelines or 'key areas' formulated by the World Health Organisation (WHO), is that are we prepared to 'call off' the MCO? Based on the Health Ministry's analysis, the answer is 'yes'.
"However, the country still needs a 'Covid-19 District Risk Reduction Program' (DRRP), which requires us to defend the green zones while 'fighting (the virus)' (at) the yellow and red zones.
"A strategy which involves four main principles have been drawn up involving border controls; movement controls; social distancing, and personal protection equipment (PPE)," he added.