Melaka exco member: Batu Berendam wholesale market operating as normal

MELAKA: A video claiming that Batu Berendam wholesale market here has been sealed off following several positive cases of Covid-19 is fake news, says Melaka health and anti-drug committee chairman Rahmad Mariman.

He said a video of the market being cordoned off with tape and barriers by the Hang Tuah Jaya Municipal Council (MPHTJ) went viral on social media on Friday (May 15).

Rahmad said the 16-second video and voice note claimed that the market had been shut down indefinitely after traders had contracted Covid-19.

"The video was taken on Friday (May 15) morning and the market is closed at that time of the day," he said.

Rahmad said the market was operating as normal except for one lot where a worker was found positive for Covid-19.

"The affected lot was temporarily closed to be sterilised. It's not a total shutdown as claimed in the video," he said.

Rahmad also said that the worker tested positive for Covid-19 during a random screening by health officials about three days ago.

He said the worker was the only one who tested positive out of 326 individuals screened that day.

"It's an isolated case and the random Covid-19 screenings will be continued targeting traders as well as workers today," he said.

Rahmad also debunked the claims that the worker had contracted the virus from suppliers delivering goods to the market here from the Kuala Lumpur wholesale market in Selayang, Selangor.

"The traders here source vegetable, meat and fish supplies directly from local producers and fishermen," he added.