EMCO at several localities in Johor, Sarawak, Sabah from June 16

KUALA LUMPUR: Several localities in Johor, Sabah and Sarawak will be placed under the Enhanced Movement Control Order (EMCO) from June 16 to June 29, said Senior Minister (Security Cluster) Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob.

He said in Johor, the EMCO will be implemented at workers' hostels in Jalan Riviera, Tanjung Agas in Tangkak after 128 individuals tested positive for COVID-19 with a high infectivity rate as a result of screening tests conducted on 237 residents.

"In Sarawak, two localities in Bukit Dinding, Mukah are involved, namely Rumah Panjang Alat anak Mukan and Mukah Palm Oil Mill.

"The EMCO will be imposed after 31 positive cases were detected at Rumah Panjang Alat anak Mukan as a result of 70 screening tests conducted, while in Mukah Palm Oil Mill, 10 out of 14 individuals tested positive for COVID-19," he said in a statement on the development of Movement Control Order (MCO), today.

He said after a risk assessment conducted with various agencies in the MCO technical committee, and upon advice from the Health Ministry, the EMCO will be implemented at the localities to stop the spread of the outbreak.

Apart from that, Ismail Sabri said the EMCO will also be imposed on four localities in Sabah, namely Kampung Sundang Laut in Sandakan; Country Heights Apartment and Vista Minintod Apartment in Penampang and Kampung Skim Cocos in Kunak.

"Kampung Sundang Laut in Sandakan will be placed under the EMCO after MOH detected 10 positive cases from 18 screening tests that it had conducted. Community screening tests should be conducted for the early detection of cases so they can be isolated as soon as possible.

"Meanwhile, at Country Heights Apartment, 18 positive cases were detected, while at Vista Minintod Apartment, 14 individuals tested positive for the virus which is a significant increase in cases within two weeks," he said, adding in Kampung Skim Cocos in Kunak, MOH had detected 10 positive cases from 24 screening tests that it conducted in the locality.

At the same time, the EMCO at 11 longhouses and SK Stalon, Tanjung Manis, Mukah in Sarawak, which is scheduled to end tomorrow, has been extended until June 29.

According to Ismail Sabri, within that period the ministry had conducted 177 screening tests, of which 90 individuals tested positive for the virus.

He said the EMCO enforced at Felda Trolak Utara, Sungkai in Perak slated to end tomorrow will be extended until June 22 after 59 positive cases were detected as a result of 2,493 screening tests.

Meanwhile, the EMCO imposed on 28 sub-districts in Kota Setar, Kedah and Kampung Pagi, Ulu Tembeling, Jerantut in Pahang will end at 11.59 pm tomorrow as scheduled, while the EMCO at Wun anak Ering Longhouse, Tanjung Manis, Mukah and Kampung Bunut, Mukah slated to end on June 16 will be lifted tomorrow.

"The EMCO implemented in Bandar Bentong in Pahang, scheduled to end on June 19, will be lifted at 11.59 tonight after MOH detected a decline in the number of cases and the cluster is under control, while all positive cases had received treatment," he added.

On the MCO's standard operating procedure (SOP) compliance operation yesterday, Ismail Sabri said that a total of 958 individuals were arrested for violating SOP, with 910 of them being compounded, 47 remanded, while one individual granted bail.

-- BERNAMA