Two areas come under EMCO, one extended, three lifted - Ismail Sabri

KUALA LUMPUR: Two areas in Sarawak will come under the Enhanced Movement Control Order (EMCO) from tomorrow and one area was extended while three EMCO areas in Sabah and Sarawak were lifted according to schedule.

Senior Minister (Security Cluster) Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob said the two localities to be imposed with EMCO until April 21 are Sri Aman Prison and staff quarters as well as Kampung Serpan Laut, Asajaya, Samarahan Division.

He said the implementation of EMCO at Sri Aman Prison and quarters followed confirmation by the Health Ministry (MOH) that there was a sharp rise of cases in the localities in seven days with high infectivity rate.

"To date, MOH has conducted 482 screening tests and from the total, 289 positive COVID-19 cases were recorded involving 279 prisoners, eight prison staff and two members of prison employee families,” he said in a statement on MCO today.

Ismail Sabri said the EMCO SOP is the same as announced earlier with no movement of residents in and out of the locality including visiting by family members.

He said to date MOH had carried out 62 screening tests in Kampung Serpan Laut and from the total, five positive cases were reported in the locality.

"The implementation of EMCO in the area is to facilitate MOH carry out targeted screening on all residents involved and to prevent the spread in the community,” he said.

Ismail Sabri said the EMCO in Kampung Batu Gong, Siburan, Serian, Sarawak which was scheduled to end on April 9 has been extended to April 23 as infection is still spreading as well as new cases in the locality.

"MOH has conducted 485 screening tests and from the total, 95 cases were found positive for COVID-19...so the government decide to extend EMCO in the area,” he said.

He said the EMCO in three areas were lifted according to schedule from tomorrow and they are two areas in Kota Belud, Sabah namely Kampung Lebak Moyoh and Kampung Siasai Tamu as well as Kampung Chupak, Siburan, Serian, Sarawak.

Ismail Sabri said the order was lifted when the remaining active cases in the three localities are under control.

"In Kampung Lebak Moyoh there were 558 screening tests carried out and 13 positive cases were identified and all positive cases had received treatment while close contacts were isolated and monitored up to the 14th day.

"In Kampung Siasai Tamu, 602 tests were carried out, and nine positive cases were detected with the last five cases found on March 22,” he said.

In Kampung Chupak he said 968 screenings were conducted and from the total 111 cases were recorded.

On the number of MCO offences, he said 92 individuals were arrested yesterday with 88 issued compounds and four remanded with the highest infringement being not observing physical distancing with 43 cases and 21 were for illegal interstate travel.

Ismail Sabri said at the same time, 43 illegal immigrants were nabbed while three were chased away in Op Benteng apart from 153 boats sighted in national waters through 11 visual observations.

On mandatory screening for foreign workers, he said 1,776 foreigners had undergone screening yesterday and from the total 11 were found positive for COVID19.

-- BERNAMA