GEORGE TOWN – Four bistros in Chulia Street here have been ordered to close for a week after health inspectors found the operators violated the standard operating procedures (SOPs) on New Year’s Eve.
Despite SOPs that discouraged gathering of people, the four outlets were said to have allowed patrons to mingle freely without wearing masks and observing physical distancing.
The four outlets – Monkey War Cafe, The Tipsy Cow, Nextdoor Rumours and the Reggae Original Club – were ordered by the Health Ministry to undergo sanitisation during the closure.
The notices of their closures have been widely shared on social media.
Meanwhile, state executive councillor Jagdeep Singh Deo wants residents here to continue to stay vigilant as Penang recorded another 288 Covid-19 cases today, 62 more than yesterday.
As of today, Penang’s cumulative cases stand at 4,002, the highest in the northern region. The state also recorded nine deaths.
Although 10 clusters had ended including the Penang Remand Prison cluster in Datuk Keramat, there are still nine active clusters.
The prison cluster here ended of the state’s green zone status three months ago,
The nine clusters and their cases as of yesterday were Seberang Prai Prison Complex (654 cases), Damar Laut (192), Beringin (865), Bayam Indah (366), Sg Keluang (88), May Indah (34), Lis Putih (25), Sentosa Residensi (27) and Rawa Akasia (117). – The Vibes, January 2, 2021