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GEORGE TOWN: Penang today urged health authorities to consider putting the areas affected by the Covid-19 Intan cluster under selective closure.
Intan’s group was declared on November 5 with nine positive cases, the index case being a 30-year-old foreigner in Relau near Bayan Baru, who tested positive before leaving the country.
In a statement, Chief Minister Chow Kon Yeow said the group, with most of the patients in Mukim 13 sub-district, should be placed under an enhanced movement control (Temco) order.
“The Penang Health Department has been asked to carry out surveillance and consider whether to implement a Temco, with special attention to certain locations there,” he said.
Mukim 13 in the northeast district covers 3,280ha, with a population of approximately 271,000 people.
It comprises Bandar Baru Air Itam, Paya Terubong, Relau, Bukit Jambul Complex, Lip Sin Garden, Bayan Mutiara, Taman Bukit Gambir, Sungai Dua, Batu Uban, Kampung Sg Gelugor, Pulau Jerejak and a part of Universiti Sains Malaysia.
As of noon yesterday, there were 347 active cases in Penang, with 18 new cases, bringing the total number of cases to 1,360. So far there have been three deaths.
According to the state health department, there are currently seven active groups: Penang Pretrial Prison, Seberang Perai Prison, Bayan, Tembaga, Permatang, Alma and Intan. There are currently 41 active cases in these groups.
Chow said the state health department had also proposed that the Temco in Penang and Seberang Perai prisons not be extended beyond November 11 and 18, respectively.
“The National Security Council in Penang has also received a request from the state health department to allow the operation of private daycare centers during the conditional MCO (CMCO) to meet the needs of working parents during the CMCO,” he said.
