BUTTERWORTH – Authorities have reopened the popular Taman Chai Leng wet market in Prai here after it was shut down for 10 days following a spate of Covid-19 cases.
The Seberang Prai City Council (MBSP) conducted several cleaning and sanitisation exercises last night before reopening the market, which was closed after the first case of the Jalan Kurau 3 cluster was identified at the adjacent housing estate on June 20.
City councillor David Marshel said the cluster saw a total of 120 out of 550 people being infected, comprising market stall owners, traders and Taman Chai Leng residents who were screened for the virus.
“The market was ordered to be closed after the Jalan Kurau 3 cluster was discovered by the Health Ministry on June 20.
“The decision to close the market was made when the health authorities discovered more stall owners were found positive for Covid-19,” he said.
The city council, he said, decided to reopen the market after the authorities gave the green light and assured that the area is safe to the public.
Earlier, Penang Deputy Chief Minister and Prai assemblyman P. Ramasamy had his service centre co-organise a free mass screening exercise alongside the state government, state Health Department, MBSP, Tzu Chi Buddhist Association, Klinik Wong and Pelita Nasi Kandar Group.
The initiative was taken over concerns that Covid-19 screening at private hospitals would cost between RM250 and RM300.
Marshel urged traders and the public to strictly adhere to the standard operating procedures in a bid to curb the pandemic.
“We also wanted to make sure that those infected are isolated from the public for the safety of everyone before reopening the market,” he added.
On June 26, the Taman Chai Leng Hawkers and Traders Association urged its members to suspend their operations in a bid to curb Covid-19 at the nearby housing estate, among their customer base and the general public.
In response, around 95% of more than 200 shops, mostly essential services such as hawkers and restaurants located within the community, opted to shut for five days from Saturday until today as requested by the association.
The spate of Covid-19 infections at wet markets through Penang saw the Bagan Ajam wet market ordered shut during the first day of Hari Raya Aidilfitri last month after the authorities initially detected 43 Covid-19 cases in the vicinity.
The cluster subsequently saw another 60 people infected.
The Bukit Mertajam wet market in Jalan Pasar was also closed from May 31 to June 10 after three traders caught the virus.
On May 17, the Jelutong wet market was shut after four cases, also among traders, were reported. The Jalan Perak market was similarly closed on June 11. – The Vibes, June 30, 2021
