Lockdown only for localities with Covid-19 spikes during conditional MCO

CORONAVIRUS | The government will only close certain areas which experience a spike in Covid-19 cases after the conditional movement control order (MCO) is implemented starting tomorrow.

Senior Minister (Security Cluster) Ismail Sabri Yaakob (above) said the closure of certain areas would not be implemented nationwide except in areas with a drastic increase in Covid-19 cases.

“We will identify based on the locality. If there are positive cases, we will close the locality concerned, and not the whole country as other places are still green. So if one area has a spike, only the area will be closed.

“This is the move of the government to deal with large increases in Covid-19 cases,” he told the daily MCO media conference today.

Yesterday, the nation recorded 105 new Covid-19 positive cases which was the highest daily increase in the past 16 days.

Asked on the move by several states to ignore the conditional MCO standard operating procedure (SOP) or guidelines as issued by the central government, Ismail said it was up to the respective state governments.

He stressed that what is important is for the state government adhere to the SOP issued by the federal government in line with the state SOP as decided in a special meeting of the National Security Council last week.

“We have agreed that states can adjust the SOP we issued with the respective states and districts. But it must be based on the SOP issued by the federal government.

“For example, food shops can open until 10pm. In small towns such as my constituency, Bera in Pahang, few people are out after 8pm, more so during Ramadan. So opening until 10pm serves no purpose.

“So it can be adapted according to the states but when we say up to 10pm, shops should not stay open until 12 midnight. It must be within the range of the SOP we have issued,” he said.

It was reported that Sarawak, Selangor, Pahang and Kedah were among the states which have decided not to fully follow the conditional MCO SOP issued by the federal government.

- Bernama