Covid-19: Govt to tighten Sabah's borders

COVID-19 | The government has decided today to further tighten its border control at Sabah's east coast following a recent spike in Covid-19 cases in the state.

Senior Minister (Security Cluster) Ismail Sabri Yaakob said the move was aimed at preventing undocumented migrants from slipping into the country.

"Today we (special cabinet meeting) have agreed to have the Op Benteng intensified.

"This is to prevent the entry of undocumented migrants, who had brought the Covid-19 pandemic into Tawau prison," he said at a press conference in Putrajaya today.

Op Benteng is an integrated approach by the government to tighten border control and involves multiple law enforcement agencies, including the police, Maritime Enforcement Agency, Immigration Department, and the military, among others.

Ismail was referring to the recent spike in the number of Covid-19 cases in Sabah, which was largely linked to the Benteng LD Cluster.

The cluster was first detected at a police lockup in Lahad Datu and traced back to two undocumented migrants detained there.

The infections have since spread to the Tawau prison. The source is believed to have been an inmate who was taken to Lahad Datu for a court case and spent time in the police lockup there.

Ismail said that as of yesterday, authorities had recorded 331 positive cases in Tawau, of which 305 are inmates of the prison; while in Lahad Datu, there were 89 positive cases in total including 86 lockup detainees.

Fake news abound in Sabah

Ismail stressed that fake news on the pandemic situation in Lahad Datu and Tawau had been spreading and is creating panic among the public.

He said among the fake news was that the government had purportedly imposed a lockdown order from 6pm to 6am in Tawau.

"There is no such thing.

"There was also fake news that anyone who returns to Peninsular Malaysia, Labuan or Sarawak (from Sabah) would have to undergo a 14-day mandatory quarantine. This is also not true.

"There is so much fake news out there, that it has created panic among the rakyat," he said.

According to him, the government has not made any decision on tightening the movement control order (MCO) in the areas because the situation was still "under control".

He added that most of those who tested positive are held in the prison or police lockups, while others who have had close contacts with them have been identified for testing. - Mkini