KUALA LUMPUR, Dec 27 — The enhanced movement control order (EMCO) enforced at the Persiaran Paya Terubong Flats in Relau, Mukim 13, Penang ended today, earlier than scheduled, said Senior Minister (Security Cluster), Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob.

He said the decision was made after the Ministry of Health (MOH) confirmed that the number of Covid-19 positive cases in the locality showed a downward trend and there were no more samples awaiting results.

"The government had earlier extended the EMCO at the flats from December 7 to 31.

"To date, the MOH has conducted 5,585 screening tests on residents according to blocks at the locality and 113 positive cases were recorded,” he said in a statement on the movement control order (MCO) developments which entered its 285th day, today.

On enforcement of the standard operating procedure (SOP), he said 456 individuals were arrested yesterday for failing to comply with the MCO, 421 others compounded, 34 remanded and one bailed.

Among the violations of the MCO involved activities at entertainment joints (170), not practising physical distancing (167), failure to provide devices to record details of customers (67), not wearing a face mask (45) and others (7).

Through ‘Op Benteng’, Ismail Sabri said 57 illegal immigrants were detained yesterday, while three land vehicles were seized.

On compulsory quarantine, he said that since July 24 until yesterday, 93,070 individuals had returned from abroad through the international entry points and placed in 75 hotels and 17 public training institutes across the country.

"From the number, 7,125 people are undergoing compulsory quarantine, 536 sent to hospitals for treatment and 85,409 allowed to return home,” he added.

On the public sanitisation operations under the supervision of the Housing and Local Government Ministry, he said that since March 30, 13,074 operations had been conducted covering 137 zones.

"Yesterday, 19 sanitisation operations were carried out covering 16 zones and involving nine states,” he said. — Bernama