KUALA LUMPUR FEB.2: The Movement Control Order (MCO) that has been extended twice until 4th February is now extended till 18th February 2021 in all the states with stricter standard operating procedures (SOP).
Senior and Defence Minister, Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob said, the extension is due to the daily records of COVID-19 that have shown an increasing trend of 20 percent to 40 percent of positive cases along with high sporadic transmissions in the community involving the Malaysians and foreigners.
“In view of the Ministry of Health (MOH) risk analysis and advice, the government has decided to extend the MCO in all states except Sarawak that has been under the Conditional MCO (CMCO) and areas that had been imposed with Enhanced MCO (EMCO).
“The MCO 2.0 is different from the first implemented in March 2020. The government now gives the micro-businesses to convene operations but with a stricter SOPs compared to the last MCO with total lockdown,” said Ismail in a press conference held here today.
However he said, the inter- state/district travel is still not allowed following 31 clusters had been formed as a result of the less stringent control on the earlier travel procedures.
Meanwhile Ismail also mentioned about 10 strategies laid by the government to combat COVID-19 pandemic including management of the economic sectors in MCO 2.0
The 10 strategies are: 1) Legal actions via Emergency Ordinance: To strengthen enforcements. 2) Management of workers’ living places: Task force for workers’ living places 3) Adhering to SOP in the work place: Aggressive monitoring 4) Overall compliance monitoring: Government agency – Flying Squad 5) Aggressive implementation of screening programmes 6) ABC-19 Squad (COVID-19 abolishing agent): Function of community volunteer 7)Temporary placement of civil sectors: Empowering the Principal COVID-19 Management Agency 8) National COVID-19 Immunisation Programme 9)Technology application: Strengthening the Health Actions 10) Inspecting the Actions Implementation : Ensuring implementations.
On another development Ismail said, Enhanced MCO (EMCO) had been imposed on two places in Perak namely Felcra Nasaruddin, Perak Tengah from 3rd until 16th February 2021. This is following a surge in new COVID-19 cases involving Perak Tengah district that has affected 28 cases in Felcra Nasaruddin cluster.
MOH has also informed that 45 individuals are now undergoing home compulsory quarantine in the locality.
Ismail added, EMCO is also imposed in Peringkat 2 and Peringkat 1,Felda Bersia, Hulu Perak from 3rd until 16th February 2021.
“Until now, MOH had carried out 51 screen tests and out of which 30 had been detected with positive COVID-19 cases. The implementation of EMCO is to enable MOH to carry out targeted screen tests involving 800 settlers,” said Ismail.
The EMCO imposed in Block C and Moral Correctional Centre School Block (PPA) Muar, Johor that had been extended until 3rd February 2021 had been lifted.
Ismail said, up to date, MOH had implemented 22 screen tests and all had been detected with positive COVID-19. However all the positive cases had been isolated from the two blocks and had fully recovered and there was no more sample waiting for the test results.
Relating to SOP non-compliance Ismail said, the Royal Police Malaysia (RPM) had detained 630 individuals and out of which 49 were remanded while one person was put on bail.
Among the non-compliance activities committed are inter-state/district travel without permission (140); not wearing face mask (139); no physical distancing (136); Failing to provide tools for recording personal details/customer (80), premises operating over the time permitted/without permission (30) and others (155). –Malaysia World News
