KUALA LUMPUR APRIL 2: The government has imposed the Movement Control Order (MCO) on Tawau District, Sabah effective 3rd until 16th April 2021 following 137 new COVID-19 cases had been recorded involving several clusters with high infectivity rate.
Senior and Defence Minister, Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob said, after a risk analysis was done with several agencies in the MCO Technical Committee and with the advice of Ministry of Health (MOH), the government agreed to implement MCO for two weeks in Tawau, Sabah.
“The imposition of the MCO will enable MOH to implement the targeted screenings at the localities of the positive COVID-19 cases, control the movements of the people in the district and stop the corona virus infections from spreading in the community,” said Ismail in a statement here today.
Ismail added, the government had also imposed the Enhanced Movement Control Order (EMCO) in several localities in Sabah and Sarawak effective 3rd until 16th April 2021 due to the sudden surge in new COVID-19 cases.
Ismail said, MOH had carried out 290 screening tests and out of which 33 had been detected with positive COVID-19 at the Factory Residence Sungai Tenegang, Kinabatangan Sabah.
“MOH confirmed that the sudden surge in COVID-19 cases had happened within one week along with high infectivity rate in the community.
“The implementation of EMCO had enabled MOH to carry out early detection on COVID-19 suspects, isolate them the soonest possible and subsequently preventing the corona virus from spreading in the community,” said Ismail.
The EMCO imposed on Kamapung Baji, Sarikei, Sarawak said Ismail, was due to the sudden surge in COVID-19 cases within five days and until 31st March 2021, 20 positive cases had been recorded at the locality.
According to Ismail, after a risk analysis was carried out with the MCO Technical Committee and with the advice of MOH, the government agreed to implement EMCO. This is to enable MOH to carry out targeted screenings on all the households affected and to control the infections from spreading in the community.
In another development, Sungai Rassau, Batang Igan, Matu District, Mukah Division, Sarawak had also been imposed with EMCO due to seven positive COVID-19 cases were detected at the localities.
MOH had confirmed that a sudden surge in COVID-19 cases had occurred within a week besides high infectivity rate in the community.
The EMCO will be imposed on the localities for two weeks effective April 3 until April 16, 2021.
Regarding the Task Force Compliance Operation, Ismail said, the police had detained 100 individuals for not adhering to the standard operating procedure (SOP) and from that 91 had been compounded while nine were remanded.
Among the offences committed include no physical distancing (89), inter-state/district travel without permission (10) and others (1).
On the national border control, Ismail said, the Op Benteng had detained 60 illegal immigrants (PATI), seized 10 boats/ships and a land vehicle.
Ismail said, 90 boats/ships had been detected in the Malaysian waters via eight observatory activities. Meanwhile 11 PATI had been driven out through two expulsion activities. –Malaysia World News
