GEORGE TOWN: Penang recorded 19 suicide attempts since the beginning of this year until May.
During the same period, the state police also received 53 reports of suicides.
Chief Minister Chow Kon Yeow said the statistics were shared by the state police during the state-level National Security Council (NSC) special committee meeting today.
"The increase in such cases will be given due attention by the state Health Department.
"Necessary focus on the aspect of mental health will be given due consideration," he said.
Chow said also mentioned in this morning's meeting was that six vaccination centres (PPV) under the Public-Private Partnership Industrial Covid-19 Immunisation Programme (PIKAS) have been approved for Penang to accelerate the immunisation process involving the manufacturing sector.
Besides the PPV at the Bukit Jawi Golf Resort, which has been operating since June 16, he said the PPV at the Equatorial Hotel is expected to begin operations on June 28.
The other on-site PPVs include at the
Intel Technology Sdn Bhd, Jabil Circuits Sdn Bhd and Plexus Manufacturing Sdn Bhd in Bayan Lepas and the Inari Amerton Berhad at Batu Kawan.
"These PPVs will continue to operate, including to provide the necessary services to employees of other companies, until the completion of the immunisation process for the industrial sector.
"Based on data shared by the state Health Department at today's meeting, the spread of Covid-19 at workplaces continue to record high numbers.
"There are 27 industrial clusters and three non-industrial clusters, two construction site clusters, two community clusters, one detention centre cluster and one religious cluster," he said.
Chow said on enforcement, some 101 factories have been ordered to close due to the spread of Covid-19 between January and yesterday.
He said they included 45 factories in the Seberang Prai Tengah district, southwest district (36), Seberang Perai Selatan (14) and three each in the Seberang Prai Utara and northeast districts.
"Enforcement bodies are carrying out operations from time to time to
track down factories which may have resorted to cheating and hiding facts," he added.
Meanwhile, Chow said the Penang government would continue to employ various methods, including outreach programmes, to reach out to organisations and localities to ensure no one is left out.
He said data showed that until yesterday, the state Health Department had visited 93 senior care homes under the outreach programme, whereby some 3,513 senior citizens and their caretakers have been vaccinated.