MCO in KL, several areas in Terengganu, Johor and Perak beginning Friday

KUALA LUMPUR, May 5  -- Kuala Lumpur and several districts and mukims in Terengganu, Johor and Perak will be placed under the Movement Control Order (MCO) from May 7 to 20.

Senior Minister (Security Cluster) Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob said the MCO in Kuala Lumpur was enforced following the increase in the number of daily cases and new clusters.

He said the Health Ministry (MOH) confirmed that 17 new clusters were recorded from April 1 to 27 here.

"After reviewing the presentation and proposals from the MOH, the government agreed to enforce MCO in Kuala Lumpur until May 20. The SOP (standard operating procedure) is per what has been announced before," he said in a statement today.

Apart from that, Ismail Sabri said 14 mukims in Besut district, (except Mukim Hulu Besut) would also be placed under MCO for the same period after the MOH recorded 406 positive cases  from 5,617 screenings carried out on the residents at the localities between April 1 and May 3.

The affected mukims are Kampung Raja, Lubuk Kawah, Pelagat, Tenang, Keluang, Bukit Kenak, Kubang Bemban, Jabi, Kerandang, Pengkalan Nangka, Pasir Akar, Tembila, Bukit Puteri and Kuala Besut.

Ismail Sabri said the MOH informed that the surge in cases in Besut stemmed from the movements of students and workers from neighbouring state with infectivity reaching 95 per cent and the district also recorded 15 clusters within the period with some have spread to other localities.

Meanwhile, in Johor, the areas placed under MCO are Johor Bahru, Kulai and Kota Tinggi due to the high number of active cases recorded in the localities with most cases being sporadic in the community.

These three districts have been classified as red zones with more than 150 cases reported while the capacity in hospital and intensive care units have reached more than 70 per cent, he said.

In Perak, the MCO areas are Mukim Taiping as well as Larut Matang and Selama district following a sharp increase in positive cases.

"The MOH also reported that the number of cases have also increased for three active clusters in Mukim Taiping, namely the Jalan Kolam Dua cluster at Kampung Expo, Jalan Pokok Assam cluster at Kampung Pokok Assam and Jalan Sepat cluster in Kamunting,” he said.

Ismail Sabri said the enforcement of the MCO in all the areas was to ensure the movement of the people could be controlled as well as to facilitate mass screenings to prevent further infection.

Based on the current situation of COVID-19, he said the government also agreed not to allow the organisation of any official or non-official events by the government or private sector in all areas under MCO.

Social events such as ‘kenduri’, weddings, engagement parties, receptions, ‘akikah’, ‘doa selamat’, ‘tahlil’, birthdays, reunions and retreats are also not allowed.

“Dine-ins are not allowed,” he added.

Meanwhile, Ismail Sabri said Kampung Lubok Katak in Tapah, Perak; Kampung Permatang Tulang Mukim Sebatu, Jasin, Melaka and Sekolah Menengah Ugama (SMU) Pantai Manis, Papar, Sabah would be placed under the Enhanced Movement Control Order (EMCO) beginning Friday until May 20.

This was following a significant increase in positive cases as well as high active cases in the areas and the EMCO was imposed to facilitate targeted screenings thus curbing the spread of COVID-19 infection, said Ismail Sabri.

“The EMCO at SMKA Johor Bahru, Johor; Maahad Tahfiz Al-Quran Al Asriah, Banggol Chicha, Pasir Mas, Sekolah Menengah Sains Machang, Kelantan; and Kampung Sileng Dayak, Lundu, Sarawak will end tomorrow,” he said.

The EMCO scheduled to end tomorrow at Rumah Panjang Giman, Batu 13, Jalan Engkamop, Pakan, Sarikei; Kampung Rayang, Serian; and Rumah Panjang Jalan Bukut Balingian, Mukah, Sarawak has been extended to May 20.

The risk assessment confirmed that there are still positive cases and infections in all areas involved.

-- BERNAMA