MCO 3.0 phase one effective in efforts to flatten COVID-19 curve - Ismail Sabri

He said this was evident in the daily COVID-19 case numbers, which has seen a significant drop from over 9,000 daily cases in May to 5,419 new infections reported yesterday.

"The National Recovery Plan announced by Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin yesterday is a strategy to move out from the COVID-19 crisis in phases. This plan takes into account all considerations to ensure decisions taken are meant to save lives and also for the people's survival.

"The first phase of this comprehensive MCO had to be implemented following the sudden increase in cases that was threatening the public health system. Therefore, your cooperation is needed for the success of this National Recovery Plan," he said in a statement on the MCO and the Enhanced Movement Control Order (EMCO) today.

Meanwhile, he said the National Security Council (MKN) had received 266 complaints on standard operating procedure (SOP) violations from June 6-14 which required enforcement action by the authorities.

Ismail Sabri said of the total, the highest number of complaints received were for exceeding the number of employees allowed in the workplace (62), followed by non-essential services operating (50) and general SOP violations (45).

He said complaints on SOP violations can be forwarded to the Malaysian Government Call Centre (MyGCC) via 03-80008000, 80008000@mygcc.gov.my email to aduan.pematuhan.mkn.gov.my.

Besides this, Ismail Sabri said some 90 factories from 404 inspected have been ordered shut after they were found to have violated SOPs gazetted between June 1 and June 14.

"Cumulatively, 24,834 factories and business premises have been inspected since Jan 14 this year. They include 22,819 business premises and 2,015 factories. To date, 143 factories and 17 non-factory premises have been ordered to close," he said.

Separately, Ismail Sabri said several localities in Sabah and a village in Sarawak as well as a residential area in Kuala Lumpur will come under the EMCO from this Friday until July 1 after a spike in COVID-19 cases in those areas.

In Sabah, Ismail Sabri said the EMCO will be enforced in two villages in Tawau, namely Kampung Bukit Gemuk and Kampung Tanjung Batu Keramat, Kampung Landung Ayang and Taman Lavender in Kudat and also Perumahan Etara, Jalan Agaseh in Lahad Datu.

In Sarawak, Kampung Serikin, Kuching will be under the EMCO while in Kuala Lumpur, it will involve Perumahan Awam Desa Rejang.

Ismail Sabri also announced the end of the EMCO in 13 localities around Bayan Lepas town in Penang, as well as Pekan sub-district in Kunak and Sekolah Menengah Ugama (SMU) Pantai Manis, Papar in Sabah tomorrow after a drop in COVID-19 infections.

Also, some 821 individuals were compounded and 20 more detained yesterday for SOP violations, he said.