GEORGE TOWN – Penang is expected to be fully reopened for tourism activities by mid-October once 90% of those in the state, registered under MySejahtera, are fully vaccinated.
Penang Tourism and Creative Economy exco Yeoh Soon Hin said for now, 80% of the island’s registered population have received double doses.
The state is now ramping up the Covid-19 vaccination drive, with the emphasis on adolescents, he added.
He said that the majority of the travel trade community including hotels under the Malaysia Association of Hotels (MAH) have pledged to support the state’s standard operating procedures (SOPs) where the safety and security of tourists are concerned.
“We are on track and once 90% are vaccinated here, tourism can open. There is no need for an interstate travel permission if I am not mistaken, based on the announcement by the federal government,” Yeoh told a press conference today.
He said high standards of SOPs should be adopted at places of interest, eateries, street food vendors, accommodations, and nightlife spots.
As for the safety and precautions against Covid-19 at hawker centres, Yeoh said the enforcement comes under the local authorities.
He also urged the tourism and local government authorities to fine tune the guidelines for those under apps such as Airbnb that are equally protected against Covid-19.
This is an area which needs attention, he said after launching the Shangri-La Group’s seven hotels “staysurance” personal accident coverage initiative here.
The “staysurance” package provides guests staying at the group’s seven hotels in Malaysia to be covered with an end-to-end personal protection, including against Covid-19 even before they check in or out of the hotels.
In Penang, the group’s Rasa Sayang Resort & Spa, The Golden Sands Resort and Jen Hotel in George Town are offering the personal accident coverage.
Shangri-La is the first hotel chain in Malaysia to offer medical protection against Covid-19 for its in-house guests, said its director of communications Suleiman Tunku Abdul Rahman.
Also present at the event were Rasa Sayang’s general manager Elaine Yue and Jen Hotel’s general manager Ody Odayappan.
The other hotels are in Kuala Lumpur and Kota Kinabalu, Sabah. – The Vibes, September 24, 2021
