Hawkers and their assistants queue for swab tests at Sibu Central Market.
SIBU (July 5): A total of 88 hawkers and their assistants underwent Covid-19 rT-PCR swab tests at Sibu Central Market between noon and 2pm today.
Sibu Municipal Council (SMC) market and petty traders standing committee chairman councillor Albert Tiang said those getting the swab tests had yet to be inoculated.
“The 88 individuals who had their samples taken were hawkers and their assistants, who have registered for the vaccination programme but are yet to be vaccinated,” he told reporters.
Tiang said they did not include hawkers still reluctant to be vaccinated, but could not give the figure for these.
He said 11 permit holders from the Indah Wholesale and Wet Market have registered for the vaccination programme, 51 from the night market, five from Taman Muhibbah Food Court, and one from Taman Selera Harmoni Food Court.
Hawkers trading in SMC’s markets and hawker centres, including the Sunday market and night market, who refused to get vaccinated by September might risk being disallowed from operating their stalls, said Tiang.
He said this was among the proactive measures taken by SMC to curb the spread of Covid-19 and make its markets safe places for everyone.
“The council’s decision had been communicated by the chairman (Clarence Ting) to the traders, as the council wants to achieve 100 per cent in the vaccination of traders in markets and hawker centres under SMC,” Tiang said.