KUALA LUMPUR: Eight localities in Tawau, Sabah will come under the Enhanced Movement Control Order (EMCO) starting tomorrow until April 25 following the spread of COVID-19 with high infectivity rates.

Senior Minister (Security Cluster) Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob said the localities involved were Taman Sri Bukit Tawau, Taman Cahaya, Jalan Tengku Osman, Tawau Fire and Rescue Department staff quarters, Bandar Sri Indah, Jalan Mesra, Kampung Titingan and Taman Golden Hill.

He said cumulatively, 76 COVID-19 cases and 220 close contacts have been traced in the localities to date.

"The implementation of the EMCO is to control residents' movement so as to curb the coronavirus transmission to outside communities," he said in a statement on the development of Conditional MCO and Recovery MCO today.

Meanwhile, Ismail Sabri said a total of 208 individuals were arrested for flouting the standard operating procedures yesterday, of which 199 individuals were compounded while nine others remanded.

He said entertainment centre activities were the highest recorded offences involving 112 people, followed by failure to provide equipment to record customers' details (27), not wearing face masks (16) and others (53).

Through Op Benteng yesterday, Ismail Sabri said nine illegal immigrants were detained, seven were deported and three land vehicles were seized.

A total of 256 roadblocks were also mounted nationwide yesterday.

Over the past 24 hours, he said 807 individuals arrived at the country's international entry points and have been sent to undergo quarantine at quarantine stations across the country.

Cumulatively, 170,888 individuals have returned from abroad since July 24, 2020, and placed in 79 hotels and eight public training institutes and private higher learning institutions across the country.

"Of the total, 7,868 individuals are undergoing quarantine, 161,681 allowed to return home and 1,339 sent to hospitals," he said.

-- BERNAMA