State health committee chairman Norlela Ariffin said the positive cases were linked to one of the two school clusters detected in Penang, namely the Jalan Teluk Air Tawar cluster which was identified on Saturday.

She said the other cluster – the Bukit Tambun cluster detected on March 21 – involved a primary school in Bukit Tambun, which recorded 16 cases.

“For the Bukit Tambun cluster, the state health department has taken immediate action by isolating those involved.

“There are more than 1,000 students in the school but the cases involved only one class. The situation is under control,” she said during an “engagement session” with Penang assemblymen here today.

Norlela, who is also the Penanti assemblyman, said apart from the two clusters, Penang also recorded clusters involving foreign factory workers, an immigration depot in Juru and a remand prison.

She said the local authorities would conduct regular inspections to ensure employers comply with the Workers’ Minimum Standards of Housing and Amenities Act 1990 (Act 446).

On the roll-out of the first phase of the National Covid-19 Immunisation Programme in the state, Norlela said 97.5% of about 40,000 who registered for the vaccine have received their vaccinations.

“The state government has also obtained 2,000 vaccine doses to be supplied to teachers and 9,000 doses for PBT (local authority) frontliners under the first phase of the immunisation programme,” she said.

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