6,000 near Masjid India affected after 15 new cases found there

On guard: Soldiers standing guard in front of Selangor Mansion in Kuala Lumpur during the newly imposed EMCO. — Bernama

KUALA LUMPUR: The Selangor Mansion and Malayan Mansion flats along Jalan Masjid India here are the two latest locations to be placed under enhanced movement control order (MCO). It involves around 6,000 residents.

Defence Minister Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob announced that there were 15 positive cases of Covid-19 at both buildings.

“Given the number of cases, the government, as advised by the Health Minister, has decided to execute the fourth enhanced MCO directive.

“This order involves around 6,000 residents in 365 residential and commercial units in the buildings.“It takes effect from April 7,2020, until all residents are screened, ” he said in a statement yesterday.

Prior to this, the enhanced MCO has been enforced in three areas – Kampung Datuk Ibrahim Majid and Bandar Baharu Datuk Ibrahim Majid in Simpang Renggam, Johor; Sungai Lui village in Hulu Langat, Selangor; and Menara City One in Jalan Munshi Abdullah here.

Under the enhanced MCO, all non-residents and visitors are prohibited from entering the area, and residents are allowed to order food deliveries that must be sent to and picked up from designated areas.

All business activities are to be closed, except for shops selling essential items in the buildings.

Ismail Sabri said a medical base would be set up in the area.

“To ensure compliance to the enhanced MCO, the police, Armed Forces, Civil Defence Force and Jabatan Sukarelawan Malaysia (Rela) will administer the area.

“For the smooth execution of the enhanced MCO, all residents are advised to remain calm and give their full cooperation to Health Ministry officials and to comply with instructions.

“Residents who require assistance or have any enquiries can call the designated DBKL MCO operation centre hotline at 03-4026 7222 or 016-296 2982, ” he said.

Foreigners make up most of the residents in the two blocks of eight-storey flats which also comprise shoplots, located near Jalan Tuanku Abdul Rahman here.

When The Star visited the location at about 1.30pm yesterday, security personnel were installing barricades, including barbed wire fences around the area.

Health Ministry officials were also on hand to perform screenings.

Meanwhile, Tan Sri Annuar Musa said the Federal Territories Ministry will cooperate with foreign missions in connection with the enhanced MCO imposed on the two buildings.

Noting that most of the residents are from Pakistan, India and Bangladesh, the minister said his ministry will liaise with the respective High Commissions on the matter.

“We will also include representatives of the High Commissions in the ministry’s security committee meetings, ” he told reporters after visiting the affected area yesterday.

Information on the enhanced MCO will be broadcast via loud hailers to the residents in the languages of the three nationalities as well, he added.

“All the residents are deemed ‘Person Under Investigation’ (PUI) for Covid-19, ” he said.

To date, 90 people there had been tested, with 300 more undergoing tests yesterday, he added.

Annuar said the ministry’s security committee will also work out logistics, including the sending of food and essentials for the residents of both flats.

On the possibility that residents will be relocated due to overcrowding, the minister said it will depend on if cases here spike and the Health Ministry’s recommendation.

“We have information that there are 20 or more people living in a single unit. Those who work the day shift will go out while night-shift workers return home but during the enhanced MCO, all will be home.

“The ministry will consider the possibility of relocating the residents to a quarantine area if the overcrowding contributes to increased cases and the Health Ministry recommends it, ” he said. - Star