KUALA LUMPUR, April 9 — The enhanced movement control order (EMCO) will be enforced in four areas in Sabah beginning tomorrow until April 23 to curb the spread of Covid-19 and to enable the Health Ministry to conduct targetted screening tests on all residents.
Senior Minister (Security cluster) Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob said the areas involved are Kampung Gayang, Tuaran as well as at the Industrial Training Institute (ILP), Taman Permata and Taman Seri Labuk in Sandakan.
He said the EMCO enforcement follows a risk assessment by various agencies in the movement control order (MCO) technical committee and the advice of the Health Ministry that confirmed the spread of Covid-19 at the localities with a high infectivity rate.
Ismail Sabri said the Health Ministry conducted 38 screening tests in Kampung Gayang, with five positive cases recorded, while in ILP, 88 tests were conducted with seven positive cases recorded.
“The ministry also conducted nine tests in Taman Permata, which returned five positive results, while five cases were reported in Taman Seri Labuk from six screenings done,” he said in a statement regarding the EMCO and Recovery MCO (RMCO) today.
In addition, Ismail Sabri said the EMCO enforced at two illegal immigrant detention centres, at the Setia Tropika Home Ministry Complex and the Sultan Iskandar Immigration Department Building in Johor Bahru will end tomorrow after considering the risk assessment by various agencies under the MCO technical committee.
He said currently the Health Ministry had conducted 83 screening tests at the Setia Tropika Complex, with 61 positive cases recorded.
“The ministry also confirmed that there were no more new cases reported and that the last reported case was on March 29, for a total of 59 cases. At the same time all positive cases received treatment while close contacts were isolated and monitored,” he said.
Regarding the EMCO at the Sultan Iskandar Immigration Department building, Ismail Sabri said the decision was made after the Health Ministry confirmed no more new cases were reported after the last on March 28 for a total of 51 cases, while all positive cases received treatment and close contacts were isolated and monitored.
Meanwhile, Ismail Sabri said 94 individuals were detained for violating MCO standard operating procedures with 93 being issued compounds and one remanded.
Regarding border control, he said 14 illegal immigrants were arrested under Op Benteng yesterday, with seven land vehicles confiscated. — Bernama
