GEORGE TOWN – Vaccination for teenagers aged between 12 and 15 commences here on Wednesday.
Based on data by the Penang Health Department, the number of teenagers aged 16 and 17 are 43,000 whereas 93,000 are aged between 12 and 15 years old.
“Penang will work with the health authorities to create more vaccination centres so schoolchildren can be vaccinated faster,” Chief Minister Chow Kon Yeow said in a statement.
Penang made a huge stride in the daily battle against Covid-19 when its tally of new cases dropped to 793 today, the lowest in some five months.
“However, the state also has the highest death rate per 100,000 people at 14.8.
“There were also eight brought-in-dead cases today despite the state’s noble effort to vaccinate as many people as possible here.”
Some 89% of 11,900 cases remain under home quarantine, while those under ICU care and on ventilation remain high at 96%.
As of now, close to 65% of those who registered under MySejahtera have been fully vaccinated with the state targeting 90% of fully vaccinated adults by next month.
Chow also said that the reduction of case numbers to three digits today was also testament to the huge vaccination drive that the state has undertaken.
“If we comply fully with the standard operating procedures, we can win this war against Covid-19. We must continue to stay vigilant,” said Chow.
Meanwhile, Penang Island City Council president Datuk Yew Tung Seang said that the Pulau Tikus wet market and its popular hawker centre need to be closed after 14 cases were detected there over the past few days.
He said that besides a widespread sanitisation exercise, the council will also conduct mass screening for its traders and hawkers at the facility from tomorrow.
As Penang continues to struggle against Covid-19, many markets have closed, with some reopening after the mandatory 14-day quarantine period.
Among them were the wet and dry markets at Farlim, Padang Tembak, Seberang Jaya, Mak Mandin, Pulau Mutiara wholesale market, Chai Leng Park, Jalan Perak, Batu Lanchang and Bukit Mertajam as well as Bayan Baru. – The Vibes, September 27, 2021
