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GEORGE TOWN: Penang today kicked off its own version of the Conditional Movement Control Order (CMCO) – the Penang Gradual Recovery Strategy (PGRS).
Police were seen monitoring the public to ensure that Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) were observed.
At the Air Itam market, which had experienced overcrowding during the start of the MCO, shoppers were smaller in number despite 70 per cent of roadside stalls in operation.
While the line into the market was orderly, with authorities taking patrons’ temperatures and ensuring that the one-metre social distancing regulation was observed, it was not so at the roadside stalls. However, the situation was still under control.
Today is the first time in nearly two months that the roadside stalls are allowed to operate on a rotation basis.
Air Itam assemblyman Joseph Ng urged the people to cooperate and observe the SOPs.
Rapid Penang operations head Ahmad Shabuddin Abdullah said that starting today, all 240 of their buses are in service for all routes, from 5.30am to 11.30pm.
He said this is to cater to the various economic sectors which resume operations today.
“We have put in place various measures to ensure the safety of our passengers.
“For 10-metre buses, we only allow 19 passengers and for 12-metre buses, 24 passengers.
“All passengers are also required to put on face masks before boarding our buses,” he said, adding that their personnel are on hand to check compliance.
Ahmad said they also sanitise their buses every night.
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Chief Minister Chow Kon Yeow had instead said Penang would implement the PGRS, which would reopen sectors of the economy in stages from May 8 to 13.
PGRS is divided into three phases – Phase 1 (Preparation Phase) between May 4 to 7, Phase 2 (Familiarisation Phase) between May 8 to 12 when only certain sectors and offices will be allowed to open, and Phase 3 (Reopening Phase) from May 13 onwards, which will see the reopening of the remaining sectors and companies.
Under Phase 1, all sectors are only allowed to do preparatory work to comply with the SOPs. The four-day period is for the state government to come up with comprehensive guidelines especially on enforcement aspects, while also giving time to employers, employees, parents, and others to plan.
The sectors allowed to operate under Phase 2 beginning this Friday are transportation (land and air), food industries (only for takeaways), professional services, manufacturing, finance, gas, mining and quarrying, electrical and electronics, agriculture, fisheries, farming, communication, information technology, e-commerce, environment, water supply and Konsortium (IWK) sewerage, construction, law, security, cleaning, strata management, community credit and mortgages, hotels, retail, government offices, local councils and government-linked agencies.
Sectors allowed to operate under Phase 3 are sports, unity, resident associations, cooperatives, commodities, forest research, debt management, creative industry, culture and arts.
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weehingthong 
It is all about strategy whether “who dares wins” or “canary in the coalmine”. For this “testing the waters” way, the usual tai chi/pick the shortest straw time consuming debates are eliminated. Different states, different strokes. Many simultaneous experiments. The loser gets lockdown. It is what I would have done given so many uncertainties. If you are a bird, one day you are going to leave the nest on your first untested ever flight. No training, no flight simulator. I dislike Azmin but I have to agree wit him on this. It is up to a leader to draw the line somewhere and boldly go where ………