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KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysia will not reintroduce the motion control order (MCO) nationwide despite a spike in Covid-19 cases of late.
The large number of infections lately has been recorded in states like Sabah, Kedah and Selangor and not across the country, Chief Minister Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob said.
He cited the 287 new infections that were recorded on Friday, of which 129 cases occurred in Kedah, most detected in a prison.
And in Sabah, he said that some of the cases involved illegal immigrants.
“The situation is not serious and we will not resort to implementing the MCO again at the national level,” he said yesterday at a press conference.
Ismail Sabri said the government would focus on red zones rather than an entire district or state.
When asked if an interstate travel ban would be introduced, Ismail Sabri said: “It is not necessary to avoid interstate travel.”
He acknowledged people’s concern about the situation, but said they should not panic.
The public, he said, should continue to follow standard operating procedure (SOP), practice physical distancing and wear face masks.
He pushed aside public sentiments that politicians returning from Sabah were to blame for the increase.
“More than 13,000 people were tested upon arrival from Sabah and only 1% of them tested positive.
“That 1% is a mix of politicians, tourists and those who have official and commercial affairs in Sabah,” he said.
When asked about the decision not to impose mandatory quarantine at centers for those who returned from Sabah, similar to those who came from abroad, Ismail Sabri said that traveling from Sabah was considered interstate travel.
(People arriving from Sabah can self-isolate at home. They must undergo a swab test upon arrival at the airport and wear a bracelet. The bracelet will be removed at a government health clinic when the test results confirm that the person does not have contracted COVID-19.)
In the case of arrivals from abroad, Ismail Sabri said: “We do not know his travel history. Also, we are unable to trace contacts as we will have no way of knowing who they have found. Therefore, it is vital for them to go through the mandatory 14-day quarantine. “
It noted that 39,628 people had returned from abroad between July 24 and October 2.
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