PUTRAJAYA – From Thursday (Feb 4) to Feb 17, Malaysian authorities placed four areas in the state of Terengganu and Perak under the Enhanced Movement Control Order (MCO) after reporting an increase in Covid-19 incidents.
Under the enhanced MCO, residents of Felda Tersat and the construction site of the TNB quarters in Kuala Berang, Terengganu and Felda Lasah and Kampung Besi Api in Kuala Kangsar, Perak are prohibited from leaving their homes. It is not permitted for tourists to access these areas and all companies would have to be shut down.
In the case of Felda Tersat, Senior Minister Ismail Sabri Yaakob said that 420 screenings had been performed by the health authorities since 1 February, of which 45 were reported to be positive for Covid-19.
He said to date that 386 tests had been conducted at the construction site of the TNB quarters and 62 individuals were confirmed to be positive.
Concerning the situation in Kuala Kangsar, Ismail Sabri reported that as of January 31, 71 coronavirus screenings had been performed by the health authorities, of which 35 positive cases were reported in both localities.
“The government, following the advice of the Health Ministry, has agreed to enforce an enhanced MCO in these localities for 14 days until Feb 17.
“This will allow authorities to carry out targeted screening and place measures to control infectivity and to break the chain of Covid-19 infection within the community, ” he said in a statement.
On the compliance issue, Ismail Sabri said that authorities announced that not putting on a face mask in crowded public places topped Tuesday’s standard operating procedure (SOP) violations recorded across the country.
Of the 611 people arrested, 145 were apprehended for this crime, followed without permission by crossing state and district boundaries (109) and 107 for failing to exercise physical distancing.
He said that, apart from enforcement operations, 67,500 checks were carried out by the task force tracking SOP compliance, including at restaurants (5,661), supermarkets (3,901), banks (3,689), hawkers (2,207) and factories (2,207). (1,478). He added that a total of 115,580 individuals returning to Malaysia have been quarantined at government-designated stations since July 24 last year.
