GEORGE TOWN: The Mengkuang Dam in Seberang Perai Tengah will be reopened to the public as a green recreational area tomorrow, but with strict standard operating procedure (SOP) to curb the spread of COVID-19.

Perbadanan Bekalan Air Pulau Pinang (PBAPP) chief executive officer Datuk Jaseni Maidinsa today said that only those who are fully vaccinated and carry a "safe" risk status under the MySejahtera app will be allowed to enter the dam premises.

He said PBAPP auxiliary police personnel would be present to check the vaccination status of visitors on their mobile devices at the entrance.

"The 'fully vaccinated' status is a non-negotiable condition. Those who cannot show a 'fully vaccinated status' will be denied entry," he said in a statement.

He also said the same SOP is applicable for public entry into other PBAPP recreational areas, which include the Air Itam Dam, Teluk Bahang Dam and Bukit Dumbar Park.

Other safety regulations at the recreational areas include limiting the maximum number of visitors to between 200 and 350 persons at any one time, physical distancing of three to five metres, as well as strict prohibition of activities which may cause large gatherings leading to difficulty in practising physical distancing and adherence to the instructions of the Health director-general.

The Mengkuang Dam, Air Itam Dam, Teluk Bahang Dam and Bukit Dumbar Park will be open from 7 am to 7 pm daily, he added.

On Sept 15, Mengkuang Dam was ordered to shut for seven days by the Ministry of Health after large crowds were seen there over the weekend.

-- BERNAMA