KUALA LUMPUR: More localities in Sabah, Pahang and Sarawak will be placed under Enhanced Movement Control Order (EMCO) for two weeks following a spike in Covid-19 cases.
Senior Minister (Security Cluster) Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob said the affected areas were: Kampung Kerpal and Kampung Pinang Orang Asli villages in Rompin, Pahang; Kampung Sri Menanti in Tawau, Sabah; and, Kampung Mambong in Kuching, Sarawak.
At both the Orang Asli villages in Rompin, he said the Health Ministry found a total of six confirmed cases from 120 individuals screened for the coronavirus within a week.
On the other hand, at Kampung Sri Menanti, 15 Covid-19 cases were recorded from 36 tested individuals with a positivity rate of 41.67 per cent.
At Kampung Mambong, 19 of 36 screened individuals were found positive with the coronavirus with a 53 per cent positivity rate.
"After a risk assessment conducted by various agencies and from the MCO technical committee feedback and on the advice of the Health Ministry, the EMCO at all these locations will be imposed from July 8 to 21.
"The EMCO enables Health Ministry for early detection and ensure the people remained at the localities," said Ismail Sabri in a statement today.
He also announced the extension of EMCO localities for Perkampungan Pulau Gaya in Kota Kinabalu, Sabah.
He said the two-week EMCO beginning this Thursday will cover Kampung Kasuapan, Kampung Lok Urai, Kampung Pulau Gaya and Kampung Pondo.
"The Health Ministry reported an exponential rise in cases with 215 confirmed Covid-19 infections detected from 1,339 individuals tested. Another 25 samples are pending results," he said.
Meanwhile, the EMCO at four localities in Sabah will end tomorrow as scheduled after authorities brought under control the Covid-19 outbreak.
These are Kampung JKR Lama and Kampung Pangi Hujung in Kunak; Kampung Kebayau in Kota Belud; and, Kampung Likas, Kota Kinabalu.
One more EMCO in Sabah, Kampung Kuala Merotai in Kalabakan, will also end tomorrow, ahead of schedule.
"The Health Ministry confirms the cases are in downward trend and clusters are under control. Those tested positive have also been isolated and treated," he added.