Some 16,000 residents of Pusat Bandar Utara around Selayang wholesale market now placed under the Enhanced Movement Control Order (ECMO) will undergo COVID-19 screening test today.

Federal Territories Minister, Tan Sri Annuar Musa said six COVID-19 screening tents with 500 health workers were stationed at six areas covering eight parcels under ECMO since last night.

"Since it involves a high number of residents, 90 percent of whom are foreigners, each day we mobilise between 1,500 to 2,000 residents to undergo the screening with 200 per tent.

"This poses a new challenge for us as before this Jalan Masjid India which was under the ECMO only involved 5,000 residents but this time the number is triple.

"If any of them are found to be positive, they will be isolated by health workers and taken to the hospital immediately. We expect the screenings to be completed within a week," he said in a Facebook post today.

Annuar said an operations room would also be set up near the Kuala Lumpur Wholesale Market to monitor the movement of people and manage food supplies throughout the ECMO.

"The Federal Territories Islamic Religious Department (JAWI) has also identified 70 mosques around the capital to serve as a central kitchen for the provision of food to residents of the three ECMO areas around the capital, including sahur and break of fast during Ramadan.

"We also welcome contributions from various parties through the COVID-19 special fund under the Kuala Lumpur City Hall to help the ECMO areas provide dry and packed food," he said.

He said although the Kuala Lumpur Wholesale Market operations were still ongoing, control over inbound-outbound activities, especially food truck drivers would be tightened.

"At the wholesale market entrance there is a health screening tent for truck drivers and workers to conduct COVID-19 screening tests on them before continuing their daily work," he said.

The government has decided to put the Pusat Bandar Utara and the surrounding areas at the Selayang Wholesale Market, in Kuala Lumpur, under the ECMO from today until May 3.

Senior Minister (Security Cluster) Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob when announcing the matter explained that the Kuala Lumpur Wholesale Market, better known as the Selayang Wholesale Market, was not subjected to the ECMO but only its surrounding areas.

-- BERNAMA