KUALA LUMPUR: The government has decided to impose Enhanced Movement  Control Order (EMCO) at a hostel, a factory and the construction site of Central Medicare in Hilir Perak from tomorrow (Feb 22) until March 7.

Senior Minister (Security Cluster) Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob said the implementation of the order was carried out after 185 individuals were found positive for COVID-19 in the areas concerned.

"As at Feb 19, the Health Ministry (MOH) had conducted 1,966 screenings with 185 of them found positive. After a risk evaluation with various agencies in the MCO Technical Committee and on the advice of MOH, the government agreed to put the locality under EMCO.

 "The implementation of EMCO is to facilitate MOH carry out targeted screening on almost 2,808 local and foreigner workers living in the locality and to control infection in the community,” he said in a statement on Movement Control Order (MCO) development here today.

Meanwhile, Ismail Sabri said the EMCO imposed in Taiping Prison and staff quarters would be lifted as scheduled tomorrow (Feb 22).

"To date, MOH has conducted 482 tests and from the total, 142 cases were recorded. MOH confirmed the remaining positive cases in the locality showed a falling trend and there were no samples waiting for results,” he said.

On the mandatory screening of foreign workers yesterday, Ismail Sabri said 13,998 foreigners had undergone COVID-19 screening and from the total, 52 were found positive.

"Cumulatively, the Human Resource Ministry announced 426,923 foreign workers had been screened for COVID-19 involving 20,752 employers in which 7,778 people were confirmed positive while 419,145 others were negative,” he said.

On the number of arrest for violating MCO, Ismail Sabri said 493 individuals were detained for infringing the standard operating procedure (SOP) and from the total, 484 individuals were issued compounds while nine were remanded.

"On illegal district and state crossing, a record 133 offenders were reported,” he said.

-- BERNAMA