BALIK PULAU: Most traders at a morning market in Teluk Kumbar near here have temporarily ceased operation after customers stopped patronising their businesses.
Checks by the New Straits Times at the market which is located at the ground floor of a flat, where a positive Covid-19 case was reported last Friday, showed less than a handful of stalls were opened.
The sole Covid-19 case there is linked to Kedah's Tawar cluster.
When met, a vegetable trader whose stall remained open, said he may suspend his business as well soon.
"This marketplace used to be very lively in the morning. Now it is like a 'cowboy town'.
"I continue selling my vegetables but there is hardly any customer. People are afraid.
"I ended up having to give away my vegetables when I close shop at noon every day," said the trader, who only wanted to be known as Mat, in his 50s.
Mat said the other traders had decided to cease operations temporarily on their own accord although they were allowed to trade.
Meanwhile, a resident at the flat said he saw three people from a unit - where the first case of Covid-19 was reported - were taken away on an ambulance.
"Soon after, there was massive sanitisation exercise here. My neighbours and I are afraid of being tested positive, the patient had gone around the marketplace to buy food and other stuff.
"I have taken my family for a swab test a few days ago," he said.
Today, the southwest district reported another three positive Covid-19 cases from the four cases detected in the state. Another was from the northeast district.
All four cases are linked to the Tawar cluster.
According to the state-managed Penang Lawan Covid-19 official Facebook page, the four active cases today brings the tally of infection to 136 cases in Penang.
All five districts reported the emergence of active cases.
On Saturday, the Penang Island City Council imposed stricter standard operating procedure (SOP) for several areas in the southwest district following the new Covid-19 case there.
MBPP enforced the new SOP from the junction of SK Sungai Batu, Jalan Teluk Kumbar, to the traffic light junction of Computerised Vehicle Inspection Centre (Puspakom), Jalan Teluk Kumbar, Kampung Tengah and Gertak Sanggul.
The SOP included a ban against Bandar Teluk Kumbar and Sungai Batu night markets while morning markets at Taman Sahabat were allowed to operate with a fixed SOP.
The Teluk Kumbar pocket park and Pasir Belanda park would also be closed.