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Kuala Lumpur: Following a rapid increase in the number of COVID-19 cases, the Malaysian government announced on Monday (October 12) that Kuala Lumpur, Selangor and Putrajaya will be subject to a Conditional Movement Control Order (CMCO).
The most stringent restrictions will apply from October 14 to October 27.
During a press conference, Chief Minister Ismail Sabri Yaakob said that a special meeting with the National Security Council (NSC) found that cases in all three locations have increased at an “alarming rate”.
“After consulting the Ministry of Health and taking into consideration the increase in cases and the spread of the virus in areas such as Petaling, Klang and Gombak, this was decided.
“Therefore, to break the chain of infection, today’s special meeting with the NSC agreed that CMCO will be enforced in Kuala Lumpur, Selangor and Putrajaya from 12:01 am on October 14 to October 27,” He said.
The minister explained that prohibited activities include travel between districts. He added that those who needed to make the trip will need to have letters from their employers or a work pass.
“Besides that, only two people from each household can leave the house to buy what they need.
“Schools, kindergartens, public parks and recreational centers will be closed, as will temples, mosques and other places of worship. Furthermore, weddings and social gatherings will not be allowed and pubs and discos will not be allowed,” he said.
However, Ismail Sabri said the economic sector would be allowed to continue to function. He added that a more detailed version of the SOPs will be updated soon.
CMCO THE BEST OPTION TO CONTROL INFECTIONS: MINISTRY OF HEALTH
Following the announcement, Selangor’s Chief Minister Amirudin Shahri said he would write to the NSC to reconsider the application as there are many areas in the state that are still classified as green areas.
The director general of the Ministry of Health, Noor Hisham Abdullah, later told a press conference that the drastic measure of enforcing a CMCO was necessary, as all the Klang Valley districts except Sabak Bernam have constantly registered new cases. daily in recent weeks.
Malaysia’s Director General of Health Noor Hisham Abdullah. (File photo: Bernama)
“Although the daily cases are less than 100, it has been constant and has spread everywhere, therefore we cannot wait for all districts to become red zones. We have to take proactive measures.
“The important thing is not the daily case numbers, but the risk assessment. It is based on the pattern of spread of the virus in the state and districts. If the spread were focused, then yes we could have a targeted MCO, but because it is in all states, it can no longer be effectively controlled that way, “he said.
Dr. Noor Hisham highlighted that CMCO was the best option for infection control. He added that enforcing the CMCO and allowing economic sectors to operate was the best the ministry could do to ensure a balance between lives and livelihoods.
“Hopefully this action will pay off in two to three weeks,” he said.
Malaysia is currently in the recovery phase of the MCO, which was implemented since March 18 to slow the spread of the coronavirus.
The restrictions were largely relaxed in the OLS recovery phase, in which everyday life almost returned to normal. Schools have reopened before and businesses have been allowed to resume operations, while domestic travel is encouraged to help revive the tourism industry.
In May, when Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin announced the country’s transition from MCO to CMCO, interstate movement was still prohibited, although most economic sectors of the economy had by then reopened.
Those that remained closed involved mass gatherings, where social distancing would be more difficult to enforce, such as entertainment centers, including cinemas and nightclubs, reflexology centers, and holiday bazaars during the Ramadan period and Hari Raya Aidilfitri as well.
The tourism industry itself would slowly resume, as the government gradually reopened Malaysia’s economy, first by allowing interstate travel on June 10.
This was followed by the announcement later that month that the Meetings, Incentives, Conferences and Exhibitions (MICE) industry, travel and trade shows, as well as spas and reflexology centers could reopen before July 1, but with strict standard operating procedures (SOPs) in place.
READ: ‘No full lockdown yet,’ Prime Minister Muhyiddin says as COVID-19 cases continue to rise
The pandemic appeared to be under control in Malaysia between June and August, until cases began to rise again in September. The sharp increase was partly due to increased travel to and from Sabah for the recently concluded state elections.
On Monday, it was also announced that Sabah will be placed under CMCO from October 13 to October 26.
The highest daily case recorded since the September surge was 691 cases on October 6. It was the highest ever recorded in the country.
As of Monday, Malaysia had a total of 16,220 cases and 159 deaths with 5,039 active cases.
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