EMCO in Kampung Rimbayan, Keningau and Kampung Simpang 3A, Tawau from April 2 - Ismail Sabri

Senior Minister (Security) Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob said this followed confirmation by the Ministry of Health (MoH) on the spike in COVID-19 cases in the two areas with high infectability rates within the communities.

He said in Kampung Rimbayan, 301 screening tests were conducted, of which 29 cases were recorded as positive up to yesterday.

"In Kampung Simpang 3A up to yesterday too, 12 tests were conducted, out of which, seven were positive while four are still waiting for their test results.

"Hence, after evaluating the risk involved together with the various agencies in the MCO Technical Committee and on the advice of the MoH, the government agreed to implement the EMCO in the two localities,” he said in a statement on the MCO today.

*Ismail Sabri said the EMCO in Kampung Rimbayan would enable the MoH to conduct targeted screening of all residents, control movement and curb the spread of the viral infection in the community, and for Kampung Simpang 3A, to prevent it from spreading to other areas.

On flouting of the MCO, Ismail Sabri said only two persons were caught yesterday and compounds imposed on them for cross-state or cross-district travel without a permit.

He said meanwhile, 50 illegal immigrants were arrested and two boats and five vehicles seized in ‘Op Benteng’.

On mandatory health screening for foreign workers, he said 2,950 were screened yesterday with 43 of them found to be positive for COVID-19.

He said cumulatively, 667,896 foreign workers serving 34,653 employers had been screened for COVID-19 and out of the number, 10,116 were confirmed positive.