Hotels in Seberang Perai have been urged to consider temporarily transforming themselves into quarantine hotels or Covid-19 Low-Risk Quarantine and Treatment Centres (PKRC).
This is in view of the rising number of Covid-19 cases on the mainland and the need for those infected to undergo quarantine.
Furthermore, none of the hotels in Seberang Perai are functioning as quarantine hotels to-date.
On Penang Island, there are hotels like the Royale Chulan Penang and Hotel Seri Malaysia; Vouk Hotel Suites Penang (PKRC); Rainbow Paradise Hotel and Bahang Bay Hotel (international arrivals).
“The Covid-19 cases in Seberang Perai have surged recently and more of those infected are now required to undergo quarantine measures. However, no hotels in Seberang Perai are functioning as a quarantine hotel or PKRC,” said state exco for Tourism and Creative Economy, Yeoh Soon Hin in a press statement.
Yeoh, who is also the chairman of Penang Centre of Medical Tourism (PMED), added that all quarantine hotels and PKRCs in the state are located within the island, which is inconvenient for communities from the mainland.
“If we take into account the Standard Operating Procedures, individuals are not advised to travel all the way from the mainland to the island for quarantine purposes.
“The Penang State Health Department’s data recorded 738 positive cases in Seberang Perai Tengah on 18 August 2021, bringing the daily cumulative positive cases in Seberang Perai to 1485 cases.
“Other than ramping up our vaccination rate, quarantine and isolation are also effective measures in curbing the virus from spreading,” he added.
Hotels which are interested in becoming a quarantine hotel or PKRC can send in their application to [email protected] .