Increase in COVID-19 cases due to large-scale screening - DPM

KUALA LUMPUR: The increase in the number of COVID-19 cases of late is due to large-scale screening, especially in areas under the Enhanced Movement Control Order (EMCO), said Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob.

He said the government had projected COVID-19 cases to increase when the EMCO was enforced in 36 mukims in Selangor and 16 localities in Kuala Lumpur.

The EMCO in these areas is scheduled to end on July 14.

"When the government enforces the EMCO, we will conduct COVID-19 screening on a large scale and of course there will be an increase in COVID-19 cases.

"For example, the Kampung Kerinchi PPR (housing scheme) which is under EMCO, (large-scale) COVID-19 screening was done here today and many also tested positive for COVID-19," he told reporters after visiting the Kampung Kerinchi PPR.

He said this when asked to comment on the drastic increase in COVID-19 cases in the country which has been hovering above 9,000 daily the past couple of days.

"So this is what caused the number of COVID-19 cases to increase, because these EMCO areas contribute to COVID-19 cases, which will eventually go down," he said.

Ismail Sabri, who is also Defence Minister, said the Ministry of Health (MOH) would conduct COVID-19 screenings every day in EMCO areas.

"For example, for residents in EMCO areas in Selangor, many private clinics are open on a walk-in basis for COVID-19 screening tests ... that also contributes to the increase in cases until the EMCO is terminated," he said.

Ismail Sabri said MOH expects COVID-19 cases to continue to increase and that the next step is to provide facilities including beds in order to treat COVID-19 positive patients.

He also revealed that so far there were 200 positive COVID-19 cases in Kampung Kerinchi PPR.

-- BERNAMA