PENANG will implement the conditional movement-control order (MCO) on Friday because it needs more time to prepare the standard operating procedures (SOPs) issued by Putrajaya, said Chief Minister Chow Kon Yeow.

According to Chow, senior Penang officials will use the four days from Monday to Thursday to work out guidelines to prevent the spread of Covid-19.

“These four days will allow companies, workers and families to plan their work and movement.

“He said the preparations would also give management time to work out social distancing arrangements, provide sanitisers and face masks, and sort out other health and safety matters at the workplace,” he said during a press conference livestreamed on Facebook today.

Chow said the Penang government was committed to returning state economic activity to normal in stages from Friday till the end of the fourth phase of the movement control order on May 12.

Penang’s stand on the conditional movement control order differs from four other states – Sarawak, Kedah, Sabah and Pahang – which had earlier said they would not introduce the new rules tomorrow, as set by Putrajaya.

However, Selangor and Negri Sembilan, while agreeing to the new rules, have said they will not allow all aspects of operations to commence tomorrow.

On Friday, Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin announced most sectors of the economy will be allowed to operate again under the conditional MCO.

However, he said it was subject to SOPs set by the federal government.

Among the relaxed rules, restaurants could allow dine-in customers from 7am to 10pm.

However, Chow said the state wanted to ensure that people were familiar with the new SOPs, including social distancing.

Up to May 2, Penang recorded 121 Covid-19 cases, with 118 recoveries.

Over the past 14 days, all the zones in the state were in the green with no new cases, except for Seberang Perai Utara where two new cases were recorded. – May 3, 2020.