GEORGE TOWN: With increasing Covid-19 cases reported in the manufacturing sector, Penang has urged factories to strictly comply with the latest standard operating procedures (SOP), requiring 40 per cent of workforce to observe the work-from-home rule.
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Chief Minister Chow Kon Yeow said, while Penang’s R-naught (R-t) of 1.06 on Sunday was among the lowest in the country, the number of daily Covid-19 cases showed an increasing trend.
“In Penang, the manufacturing sector continues to report the highest clusters with two new ones reported yesterday.
“Following the International Trade and Industry Ministry’s ‘silence’ over the ‘Safe@Work’ initiative which was supposed to kick off on April 1, the Penang government and the Federation of Malaysian Manufacturers (FMam) have taken a joint initiative to conduct mass screening of workers in the manufacturing sector.
“The ‘on-site pooled saliva RT-PCR screening’ has since Saturday screened a total of 538 individuals,” he said today.
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Chow said cooperation from all was vital to curb the spread of Covid-19 and ensure the country’s healthcare system does not collapse.
Chow again reiterated his call for the National Covid-19 Immunisation Programme (NIP) to be expedited to all economic frontliners, all of whom are working from the red zones.
Penang recorded a total 384 Covid-19 cases yesterday, bringing the cumulative total number of cases to 26,119 with 58 deaths.
Meanwhile, Chow said a ‘self lockdown’ was the most important approach to break the chain of Covid-19 infections at present.-NST