Seventh day of MCO to focus on social distancing at public markets, supermarkets

Enforcement of the Movement Control Order (MCO), which enters its seventh day today, will focus on the eight per cent of the society who still do not comply with the ruling.

This is to ensure the target of 100 per cent compliance by the people is achieved to curb the spread of COVID-19.

Quoting a statement by Defence Minister Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob at a special press conference yesterday, the compliance rate among the public to the order until Monday showed an increase of up to 98 per cent.

As such, only employees involved in essential services are allowed outside their home, as well as the head of family or a family member who needs to be out to shop for essential items or to seek medical treatment.

Others are required to stay at home to break the chain of the COVID-19 infection, which has so far claimed 14 lives in the country.

The government also views seriously the lack of compliance to social distancing by those who have to go out of their home, especially when they are at public markets and supermarkets.

Thus, the focus by the Royal Malaysia Police (PDRM) and the Malaysian Armed Forces (ATM) today is to ensure social distancing is exercised by limiting the number of people in public markets and supermarkets at a time and also at the cashiers.

Others who have no reason to be out of their house are advised to remain at home by practising self-hygiene such as washing their hands with soap and water or sanitiser often.

The government, concerned with the people’s welfare, has announced several initiatives to ease the financial burden of those affected by COVID-19.

Among them is allowing contributors to the Employees Provident Fund (EPF) below the age of 55 to withdraw their savings in Account 2 to up to RM500 a month for a period of 12 months from next month.

The government will also channel an additional allocation of RM600 million to the Health Ministry to support efforts to address COVID-19 and for recruitment of new contract staff, especially nurses.

The federal government also announced an allocation of RM130 million to assist all state governments in coping with the COVID-19 crisis.

For borrowers of the National Higher Education Fund (PTPTN), the government has agreed to extend the period of the loan repayment from three months to six months.

-- BERNAMA