COVID-19 screening extended to two more villages in Hulu Besut

BESUT: The COVID-19 screening programme has been extended to two villages located close to the areas placed under Enhanced Movement Control Order (EMCO) in Hulu Besut.

State Health Department director Dr Nor Azimi Yunus said since Saturday, screenings have been conducted in Kampung Pak Sik and Felcra Keruak located near Kampung Belaoh, Kampung Keruak and the Belaoh Baru PPRT which have been under EMCO since last Wednesday, after the Belaoh Cluster was detected.

"The screening programme at the two villages will involve 1,094 residents as some of them have been in contact with people in the three villages placed under EMCO," she told reporters after monitoring the screening process at Sekolah Kebangsaan (SK) Keruak yesterday.

Nor Azimi does not rule out the possibility that there would be an increase in positive cases in the five villages following the ongoing screenings.

"Currently, the infectivity rate (Rt) in Terengganu is 1.53 but two weeks ago the state recorded the lowest Rt at 0.53," she said.

The Belaoh cluster identified on April 6, is a community cluster involving Besut and Marang districts in Terengganu and Bachok district in Kelantan.

-- BERNAMA