Penang seeks federal govt's support COVID-19 screening, MOVAK programme

GEORGE TOWN: The Penang government is seeking the federal government's support to continue state-initiated COVID-19 screening and vaccination programmes.

State Housing, Local Government and Town and Country Planning Committee chairman Jagdeep Singh Deo said both the "Penang Saringan COVID-19" (PSC-19) screening programme and the Community Mobile Vaccination (MOVAK) programme had received positive response from Penangites.

According to him, the PSC-19 programme, which aimed to provide free COVID-19 screening for up to 40,000 individuals throughout the state, had received 46,875 registrations.

"As for the MOVAK programme for hawkers and traders in Penang which ended on Sept 2, 17,340 people have registered, but we only have provisions to vaccinate 11,000 of them," he said in a press conference at Batu Lanchang market here.

He hoped that the federal government would provide infrastructure support such as the mobile vaccination centres, as well as the needed resources for the state to conduct PSC-19 and MOVAK programmes.

PENANG-SUPPORT 2 (LAST) GEORGE TOWN

"Following the resounding success of the PSC-19 and MOVAK programmes in Penang, we hoped that the federal government would continue to assist us as we aim to achieve our goal of vaccinating all adults in Penang by mid-September," he added.

On Sept 1, Health Minister Khairy Jamaluddin gave assurance to boost vaccination supply and human resource deployment to Penang and four other states following the rapid rise in COVID-19 infections.

Apart from Penang, the federal government is also focusing on aiding Sabah, Johor, Kedah and Kelantan in order to curb the COVID-19 infections.

Earlier today, Jagdeep and Penang Island City Council (MBPP) mayor Datuk Yew Tung Seang witnessed the temporary closure of Batu Lanchang market under the state Health Department's instructions after four COVID-19 cases were detected at the premises.

Yew said it was the second time the market was ordered to close due to COVID-19 and the first was on July 29 this year.

"The market was reopened on Aug 17 following the first closure and was fully operational on the next day (Aug 18)," he said, adding the closure would affect 180 market hawkers and traders there.

-- BERNAMA