EMCO at Desa Bistari Flats in Penang ends today

KUALA LUMPUR: The Enhanced Movement Control Order (EMCO) at the Desa Bistari Flats in Batu Uban, Penang ended today, earlier than scheduled, said Senior Minister (Security Cluster) Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob.

He said the government had previously extended the EMCO in the locality from Dec 20 to 31.

"The Ministry of Health (MOH) has completed the screening of all residents in this locality and there are no more samples awaiting results. The remaining positive cases of COVID-19 in this locality are also under control and show a downward trend.

“Therefore, on the advice of and risk assessment by MOH, the government has agreed to terminate the EMCO at Desa Bistari Flats today," he said in a statement on developments of the implementation of the Movement Control Order (MCO) and Recovery Movement Control Order (RMCO).

Meanwhile, he said 1,002 individuals were detained for violating the MCO yesterday, with 854 compounded and 148 remanded.

According to him, the highest number of offences recorded were entertainment centre activities with 687 cases, followed by failure to comply with physical distancing (125), not wearing a face mask (69), failure to provide devices to record customers’ details (63) and others (58).

On ‘Op Benteng’, Ismail Sabri said a total of 35 foreigners were detained and three vehicles seized yesterday.

He also disclosed that from July 24 until yesterday, 92,607 individuals had returned home through the international entry points, housed in 76 hotels and 17 public training institutes and private learning institutions nationwide.

Of that number, 7,206 individuals were undergoing mandatory quarantine, 536 sent to hospital for treatment and 84,865 allowed to return home, he said.

-- BERNAMA