Muhyiddin: Areas with rising number of Covid-19 infections to be placed under EMCO

KUALA LUMPUR, May 10 — The government has not ruled out the possibility of enforcing the enhanced movement control order (EMCO) in isolation in areas that see a rise in Covid-19 cases during the conditional MCO period that has now been extended to June 9, Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin said today.

The prime minister advised people against becoming complacent as the country is still under the CMCO, the results of which, he said, will only show in the next few weeks.

“As the number of people leaving their homes to get to work continues to rise, the risk of infection also increases. As such, the next several weeks are critical for us,” he said in a special address to the nation via all local television networks.

Muhyiddin announced that the CMCO in force until May 12 has been extended to June 9.

He advised the people to comply with the standard operating procedures (SOP) introduced by the government, including avoiding crowded places, practising social distancing, wearing face mask, frequently washing hands and using hand sanitisers, and going outdoors only if there is a real need to.

“We want to avoid having to enforce the EMCO. Therefore, I wish to appeal to all of you to comply with the SOP set by the government,” he said.

Muhyiddin also said that of the 1,178 mukims, divisions, zones, sub-zones and precincts in the country, 1,112 or 94.4 per cent have been categorised as green areas; 62 or 5.2 per cent as yellow and only four or 0.34 per cent as red.

He named the four red zones as Mukim Batu, Gombak, Selangor; Zon Batu, Mukim Batu, Kuala Lumpur; Zon Kampung Baharu, Mukim Bandar, Kuala Lumpur; and Mukim Pedas, Rembau, Negri Sembilan.

The prime minister advised people living outside these four areas not to go there for the moment so as to avoid exposing themselves to the risk of Covid-19 infection.

“As for the people in the green zones, don’t think that you are safe and can move about freely. You may assume that you are not at risk of infection because you are in the green zones.

“However, I wish to remind you that the Covid-19 virus is a silent enemy invisible to us. It can strike at anytime and anywhere,” he said. — Bernama