Two food centres close due to virus

One of the hawkers packing cooking ingredients after closing her stall at the Super Tanker food court.

THE Batu Lanchang food complex in Penang will be closed for seven days starting today after three of its hawkers tested positive for Covid-19.

In a statement, the 115 hawkers said the voluntary closure would allow sanitisation work to be carried out at the complex.

A representative Goh Kok Joo said their business was seriously affected after a viral message on Monday said there were positive Covid-19 cases at the complex.

He said the hawkers then went for the subsidised RTK Antigen Covid-19 tests at Lam Wah Ee Hospital after contacting the service centre of Batu Lanchang assemblyman Ong Ah Teong.

“Over the past few days, some 70 hawkers here went for their tests and three of them tested positive for the virus.

“We urge all the hawkers here to go for the test as well, ” Goh said.

Ong said the hawkers took their own initiatives to undergo Covid-19 tests at the hospital as a safety precaution.

“My service centre rolled out the subsidised Covid-19 test programme for the hawkers in this constituency, like previously done for those at the Jelutong Market.

“Many of them took part in the programme and each of them paid RM80 to do the test.

“But how many tested positive or who tested positive, we would not know because this is recorded by the Health Ministry, ” he said.

At Taman Lip Sin, off Jalan Sungai Dua, a private company was hired to sanitise the Super Tanker food court after three of its hawkers tested positive for Covid-19.

Batu Uban assemblyman A. Kumaresan said the food court

had since been closed indefinitely after three confirmed cases were reported yesterday.

“The food court owners said they would carry out cleaning and sanitising work at the food court tonight (yesterday night), ” he said.

One of the hawkers who wanted to be known only as Vin, 40, was seen removing raw food materials at her stall in the food court.

“We know that the food court will be closed for sometime, but none of us were told when it would be allowed to reopen.

“This came as a surprise as we did not expect that some among us would catch the virus.

“I myself am concerned and I plan to go for testing myself to

be safe. “Since I cannot do business for now, I can stay home, ” she said when met yesterday.

At the nearby Taman Jubilee Market frequently patronised by residents in the surrounding areas, a sundry stall owner who wanted to be known only as Sunny, 52, said they were affected by the food court’s closure.

“We are seeing fewer visitors since the food court’s closure on Tuesday.

“But ever since the start of the movement control order (MCO), not many people patronise the market.

“Visitor numbers often fluctuate. On some days there are fewer people, on some days there are more people, ” he said.

Vegetable seller Jack Tak, 33, said they expected a slight drop in visitors following the food court’s closure.

“There are people in the community who are scared, but the people who stay nearby would still come out to buy groceries.

“Some others opt for delivery, where many vendors here cater to as well.

“For us, we are concerned too but we believe that as long as we follow the SOPs closely and control the crowd, it should be okay.

Tak said that since last year, the market vendors have been forking out money to hire Rela members to monitor and control the crowd at the market daily.

“This is what we do collectively to ensure the safety of ourselves and our patrons.

“As we are a privately owned market, we cannot afford to close due to the rentals we pay so we have to be diligent.

“We hire two Rela members daily, and four on weekends.

“This is to control the number of visitors to ensure that at any one time, only 50 people are allowed in, ” he said.