GEORGE TOWN: Now that Rela volunteers are standing down on the island, it is time for market-goers to learn to manage Covid-19 precautions themselves.
Members of the People’s Volunteer Corps, who have been stationed at markets since the first movement control order in March 2020, will be pulled to other duties.
Penang Island City Council (MBPP) mayor Datuk Yew Tung Seang said as the pandemic enters its third year, it is time for everyone to be responsible and play their role to prevent the spread of Covid-19.
“Rela and other agencies played an important role during the early stages when Covid-19 hit our country.
“Public markets received a lot of visitors daily so it was crucial for these places to be constantly monitored.
“Many markets hired Rela volunteers and some roped in local community members such as Village Community Management Councils to help.
“For smaller markets, crowd control was taken care of by the traders themselves,” he said yesterday.
But that is not the case any longer and people need to be responsible and embrace the new norms, he added.
Yew said the council thanks all who provided help and services throughout the period.
“The main reason for having personnel stationed at market entrances was because at that time, many were still unfamiliar with the standard operating procedure (SOP), especially the one-entrance-one-exit rule.”
Now that Malaysia is moving into the endemic phase, he added, it was time for people to stay vigilant and manage themselves.
“Everyone should already be used to wearing face masks, scanning their MySejahtera app and maintaining physical distancing.
“This practice needs to be continued.
“MBPP will continue to work together with other relevant agencies to conduct periodical spot checks to ensure that visitors and traders follow the SOP, which will be updated by the National Security Council from time to time,” he said.
At present, there are 28 active markets on Penang island.