COVID-19: Border controls to be continued to prevent entry of illegal immigrants

Tawau Disaster Operation Control Centre (PKOB) chairman, Datuk Ir Amrullah Kamal also said strict control was needed to maintain Tawau as a green zone after the last patient treated at Tawau Hospital recovered from the disease two days ago.

“This is to avoid a new COVID-19 cluster in Tawau,” he told reporters after visiting fire victims at Lorong Haji Sundu in Batu 2 Jalan Apas, here, yesterday.

According to Amrullah, the matter was brought up at a PKOB meeting and the Eastern Sabah Security Command (ESSCom) assured tight security at the country's borders whether by water or land.

"In fact, the Home Minister has also come down to visit the rat trails in the area recently and was concerned about the issue of illegal immigrants,” he said.

Amrullah, who is also the president of the Tawau Municipal Council (MPT), said to date only six individuals were still housed in the quarantine centre at the Tawau Teachers’ Institute (IPG) and all of them were illegal immigrants.

On the fire in Lorong Haji Sundu, Amrullah said 129 fire victims, involving 38 heads of households, including seven foreigners, had registered with the Social Welfare Department as at 11 am yesterday.

Earlier, Tawau Zone Fire and Rescue Department chief, Sukur Hatta said the total loss incurred in the fire was almost RM1 million comprising damaged property including cars, motorcycles and jewellery.