Action against Sivagangga cluster premises to be discussed at MKN

Forms of action that can be taken by local authorities against premises whose owner had violated the mandatory quarantine order at home and opened the restaurant in Napoh, Kedah, should be discussed at the National Security Council (MKN) level.

Housing and Local Government Minister Zuraida Kamaruddin said that action at the local authority level should be scrutinised first as matters related to COVID-19 are under the Prevention and Control of Infectious Diseases Act 1988 (Act 342).

“Local authority need to be careful because the restaurant has been allowed to operate but whoever manages it that’s a different matter.

“The action should be taken against the restaurant owner who violated the quarantine order, but the premises is a different matter,” she told reporters after attending the Fire and Rescue Department (JBPM) Aidiladha programme here today.

Zuraida said this when asked if local authorities could take action such as closing down the restaurant owned by the man, a permanent resident, who was classified as person under investigation (PUI) who violated the mandatory quarantine order at home and subsequently opened his restaurant after returning from India.

According to the Ministry of Health, as of noon on Aug 2, a total of 313 people from the Sivagangga PUI Cluster were screened and out of the total, 20 cases tested positive for COVID-19.

Meanwhile, on the proposal to establish a standard operating procedure related to public sanitation every six months or once a year, Zuraida said that the matter was still under study by JBPM.

“Sanitation has also been implemented in all restaurants before they are allowed to resume operation and we will make this a new norm ... we are looking at how often they should do this sanitation,” she said.

At the programme held at the JBPM headquarters compound, a total of 13 cows were slaughtered in conjunction with Aidiladha celebration and the meat was distributed to 200 asnaf (people eligible to receive tithe or zakat) around Putrajaya.

-- BERNAMA