KUALA LUMPUR, May 29 — Terengganu’s once green zone status is fast disappearing and the state's Health Department director has pointed the blame squarely on ignorant Malaysians who violated the movement control order (MCO) during the Hari Raya period.

In a Facebook post, Terengganu Health director Dr Nor Azimi Yunus said some selfish Malaysians with nonchalant attitudes, who visited relatives and friends during the festive season, have now infected the district of Hulu Terengganu, formerly a green zone.

“In an instant 124 cases were detected due to several individuals breaking SOPs by crossing state and district boundaries. Now there’re five active clusters in Hulu Terengganu. This is the Raya cluster we’ve all been waiting for.

“There were two individuals who returned to Johor before Raya. Some visited their closest relatives. In the end 24 were found positive. It spread to the markets where four employees were found positive.

“All of them have been exposed and the infection is now deemed as widespread without anyone realising it,” she lamented.

She said there was another case where the person who had Covid-19 went to Bentong for Raya and then visited the neighbours. Six individuals were detected positive due to close contact.

A new cluster also emerged in the Hulu Temelong mukim where the SOP violators went out of Melaka and later returned symptomatic.

She said they had then spread the disease to their office. In the end 10 workers were confirmed positive and close contact tracing is undergoing.

“Why are you all behaving like this?” asked Dr Nor Azimi.

“To say you didn’t know ... means the media has been feeding you rubbish regarding the Raya SOPs ... when the reality is SOPs have been totally ignored.

“The majority of the violators are giving ignorant excuses like “I didn’t think it was all that”. Then what were you thinking all this while? That Covid-19 is made up?”

She then said that in Tanggol 14 individuals visited their family members following a death in the family in Marang.

“As chance would have it there was a positive person there. From that, 14 people tested positive for Covid-19,” she said.

She also said these individuals should have sent one or two people for the funeral and adhere to SOPs.

From there the virus had even spread to a nearby mosque where the bilal and jemaah were found positive.

“We have clearly given advice to all of you to not cross state lines for any events or visitations to avoid what’s happening now but all of you continue to flount the SOPs. Maybe you think you're immune to Covid-19.

“Now disaster has hit and it was brought upon by your own hands and not anyone else. No need to point the finger at anyone. The fact is we are at fault.

“We will now cry together seeing the number of people of all ages die every day. Let it not come to pass where we run out of ICU beds in our hospitals,” she stressed. 

In conclusion, Dr Nor Azimi said Hulu Terengganu is no longer a safe mukim.

She said Kuala Berang but Hulu Temelong and Tanggol have also been deemed high risk zones.

“If you want to help break the chain of infection stay at home all of you. Go out only when necessary,” she said.