Albert Tiang
SIBU (Sept 11): The wet market section, including those selling pork, of Sibu Central Market would be closed from today until Sept 18, as a way to curb the spread of Covid-19.
In stating this, Councillor Albert Tiang said the directive was made following the detection of several positive cases in that area.
“The temporary closure is to make way for sanitisation works to be carried out over the section,” said the Sibu Municipal Council (SMC) Market and Petty Traders Standing Committee chairman yesterday.
“In this regard, members of the public are reminded to avoid Entrance 3 and 4 (of the central market) as the wet market section is off-limits to everyone, barring the disinfection team.
“The affected section will resume operations on Sept 19.”
Additionally, he also reminded operators, visitors and suppliers to continue strict compliance with the set standard operating procedures (SOP) whenever they are in other sections of the central market.
“All markets and hawker centres under SMC require visitors to be fully vaccinated before they are allowed in.
“As the central market is under the Ministry of Health’s Hotspot Identification for Dynamic Engagement (HIDE) system, only 25 per cent of visitors would be allowed in the premises at any one time,” he added.
Tiang also said the SMC, on its part, had implemented alternate-day trading to limit the contact between stall operators.
“Should a hawker test positive for Covid-19, the nearby operators would need to close their stalls for five days and undergo swab-testing,” he said.
Yesterday, Sibu recorded 430 new Covid-19 cases.