EMCO in several areas in Kelantan, Terengganu, Pahang, Perak, Sabah, Sarawak from May 22

Senior Minister (Security Cluster) Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob said the areas were placed under EMCO due to a surge in COVID-19 cases and a high infectivity rate.

"The Ministry of Health (MOH) today reported a sharp increase in COVID-19 cases in 15 sub-districts in Besut district, Terengganu involving Kampung Raja, Keluang, Lubuk Kawah, Bukit Kenak, Pelagat, Jabi, Tembila, Kerandang, Bukit Puteri, Pengkalan Nangka , Kuala Besut, Pasir Akar, Kubang Bemban, Tenang and Hulu Besut.

"The MOH has confirmed that nine of the 17 active clusters in Terengganu involve the Besut district which has contributed to the increase in COVID-19 cases in the state with high infectivity rates in the community," he said in a statement today.

As for the EMCO in Pahang, Ismail Sabri said it involves Rumah Banjir Kuala Teh in Jerantut after the MOH also reported a sharp increase in cases there.

"A total of eight positive cases were recorded from 22 symptomatic screening tests with a positivity rate of 36.36 percent. The implementation of EMCO is to facilitate the MOH to carry out targeted screening on the affected population and further curb the spread of COVID-19 to other areas," he said.

In Kelantan, Ismail Sabri said the EMCO will involve Kampung Terusan, Mukim Limbat, Pasir Tumboh in Kota Bharu and Kepulauan Tumpat, Mukim Sungai Pinang in Tumpat.

As for Perak, four areas are involved, namely Pengkalan Hulu; Larut, Matang dan Selama (Mukim Taiping); Kinta (mukim Hulu Kinta covering Ipoh, Lahat, Chemor and Tanjong Rambutan) and Muallim (mukim Hulu Bernam Timur).

In Sabah it involves Kampung Idani in Semporna, Kampung Pisang in Tawau and Kampung Getah, Kampung Getah Tengah and Taman Kunak Jaya in Kunak.

On the EMCO in Kampung Boyan, Kuching, Ismail Sabri said the MOH reported a surge in cases in the locality, with 34 infections recorded from 171 screenings done.

Ismail Sabri also announced that the EMCO in seven localities in Sempalit in Pahang, namely Kampung Baru Sempalit, Taman Sempalit Aman, Taman Emas Baru, Taman Sempalit Indah, Taman Sempalit Jaya, Taman Sempalit Baru and Taman Emas in Raub which was scheduled to end tomorrow (May 21) has been extended to June 4.

The same extension applies for the EMCO in 16 localities in Sungai Ruan, Raub, he said, while EMCO enforced for Sekolah Menengah Ugama Pantai Manis, in Papar, Sabah has been extended to June 3.

Meanwhile, on standard operating procedure violations, he said 468 people were compounded while 27 more were remanded yesterday.