KUALA LUMPUR: The government has decided to place Taman Guru, Jalan Gambang, Kuantan, Pahang as well as Kampung Batu Gong and Kampung Chupak, Daerah Kecil Siburan, Sarawak under the Enhanced Movement Control Order (EMCO) from tomorrow until April 9.

Senior Minister (Security) Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob said this was to facilitate the Ministry of Health (MOH) to carry out targeted screening as well as restrict movement and curb the spread of the virus within the communities.

"The MOH has confirmed that there has been a surge in these localities, with a very high rate of infectivity within the communities,” he said in a statement today.

As of today, he said 63 COVID-19 positive cases had been recorded in Taman Guru from 178 screenings carried out by the MOH.

Meanwhile, 50 cases were reported in Kampung Batu Gong and 57 in Kampung Chupak, with 240 samples still awaiting results.

Ismail Sabri also said that 54 individuals were detained for flouting the standard operating procedures (SOP), with 53 of them compounded and one remanded.

Among the offences involved failure to provide materials for recording customer information (25 cases), not wearing face masks (17), attempting to travel across districts and states (six), failure to observe physical distancing (five) and others (one).

He said that under Op Benteng yesterday, five illegal immigrants were arrested while two land vehicles and two boats were seized.

"Nine illegal immigrants were also turned away,” he said.

Meanwhile, 2,990 foreign workers underwent COVID-19 swab tests yesterday and 21 were found positive. 

So far, 654,071 foreign workers hired by 33,948 employers have been tested for COVID-19

-- BERNAMA