MB: Perak spent over Rm68.1mil to counter Covid-19 effects

LENGGONG: The Perak government spent over Rm68.1mil as of July for necessities and matters related to Covid-19, said Mentri Besar Datuk Saarani Mohamad.

He said RM46,197,739 went to the distribution of food boxes, purchase of items needed by the frontliners and workers at vaccination centres while RM21,930,767 was channelled through the state economic stimulus package (PREN).

“Under PREN, for example, we helped traders who wanted to restart their business and offered moratorium to government borrowers such as those under the Rumah Insan Amanjaya Scheme or have taken microcredit loans.

“We have also extended moratorium to tenants of local authority premises. The total amount spent for PREN until last June was RM21,930,767,” he told reporters after handing over food aid to fishermen in Lenggong district at Pusat Pekasam Negara here yesterday.

He did not rule out the possibility that additional assistance would be extended with the rise in the number of Covid-19 patients.

Saarani said the state government had not decided on designating Sungai Siput Hospital (HSS) as a treatment centre for Covid-19 patients following the increase in cases over the past few days.

Earlier, social media was abuzz with news that outpatient treatment services at HSS would be temporarily suspended to make way for the treatment of Covid-19 patients.

Saarani added that apart from some people violating the interdistrict travel restriction during Hari Raya Aidiladha, the surge in positive cases was also due to the mass screening being conducted in enhanced movement control order areas.