BUKIT MERTAJAM: All economic sectors in Penang have been told to prepare themselves to face the possible implementation of a second round of the Movement Control Order (MCO) due to the rising Covid-19 cases.
Chief Minister Chow Kon Yeow said he was made to understand that the federal government is conducting stakeholder engagement with representatives of economic and industrial sectors for feedback on the impact of the MCO if it is enforced again.
"We will await the outcome of the stakeholders engagement.
"Past experience had taught us that each sector would be differently impacted, depending on the type of business and operations, among others.
"As such, I urge all relevant stakeholders to formulate strategies should the MCO be enforced again due to the high number of Covid-19 cases," he said after witnessing the swearing-in of 24 Seberang Prai City Council (MBSP) councillors at Menara Bandaraya here today.
Chow said the state government is now focusing on preparing quarantine centres to face a possible increase in Covid-19 cases with aggressive screening being carried out among foreign workers.
"The screening for foreign workers in factories and the construction industry, as well as others, are likely to produce more positive cases, which must be placed in quarantine centres, depending on the severity of each patient.
"For more serious cases (those with symptoms), they will be admitted to hospital, while for those in categories one and two, they will be placed in low-risk Covid-19 centres," he added.
In a related development, Chow said Penang was still awaiting the federal government's decision with regards to its suggestions for the setting up of low-risk Covid-19 centres.
On Wednesday, Chow said the state government had identified several suitable sites to be turned into low-risk Covid-19 centres to cater to the increasing number of active cases and address overcrowding issues in existing facilities such as the Balik Pulau Sports Complex.
He said among the locations proposed were the Spice Arena in Relau, which would be able to house over 1,000 beds at any one time.
Chow had also said that factories in the state should set up their own low-risk Covid-19 centres to treat their own workers who test positive for Covid-19.
To date, some 15,000 foreign workers from a total of 144,000 registered foreign workers in the state have been screened, with the majority of positive cases in the state coming from this group.