GEORGE TOWN: The Penang government will place equal emphasis on ensuring public health as it does on a resumption of economic activities.
“We are taking a gradual approach towards improving public safety and reviving the economy,” state executive councillor Yeoh Soon Hin said today.
He said it would be a win-win situation for both if the objectives are met.
Yeoh, who oversees the tourism, arts, culture and heritage portfolios, said this can be achieved through the state’s “Three Es” approach - Evaluation, Enforcement and Education.
Just like the rest of the country, the movement control order (MCO) enforced to curb the spread of Covid-19, has brought economic activity in the state to a standstill.
Yeoh said that under the Three Es strategy, the authorities will assess the situation to determine which sectors will be allowed to resume operations first, subject to provisions under a new standard operating procedure (SOP).
He was explaining the decision by the Penang government to not implement the conditional movement control order (CMCO) in place of the MCO as recommended by the federal government.
He said such provisions could include stricter requirements on sanitation, taking employees’ temperature and other recommendations.
He urged all Penangites to accept the “new norm” and adopt practices recommended by the World Health Organisation.
Yeoh pointed out that along with wiping out Covid-19, economic recovery is equally important.
However, he cautioned against a rush to resume business activities. He said this could jeopardise earlier efforts to contain the spread of the virus.
“We have to ensure that businesses have sufficient time to be ready (to resume operations),” he said.
Chief Minister Chow Kon Yeow pledged that the state will rebuild its tourism sector which has been adversely affected by the pandemic.
It is also working on the ‘Penang Go Cashless’ initiatives.
“We are planning ahead and looking at domestic tourism for a start. Hotels and our public facilities must be safe,” Chow said after he and Yeoh visited the Shangri-La’s Raja Sayang Resort & Spa, located within the Batu Ferringhi tourism belt, today.
