Top Glove has shut down 27 of its 28 factories in Meru, Klang so far, said Senior Minister (Defence Cluster) Ismail Sabri Yaakob.
He told a press conference today that 20 of these factories were shut as of yesterday, and another seven were closed today. The last factory still in operation will soon follow suit.
In addition, he said Top Glove has been ordered to test its workers who work at the factories but live outside the area in Meru that is currently under an enhanced movement control order (MCO).
This will involve the testing and quarantine of 2,263 workers outside the enhanced MCO area.
“As I have explained recently, they have male hostels, female hostels, and rented houses in the area; which are already under the enhanced MCO.
“However, many of their workers also work there but live elsewhere, not in hostels. So, we have ordered the company to conduct testing and quarantine the workers,” he said.
Altogether, he said Top Glove has 11,215 workers in its Meru factories.
All who test positive for the disease have been sent to the hospital for treatment, and those who test negative are being quarantined in hotels and the Pandamaran Stadium.
“So, the surrounding community need not worry because all workers related to Top Glove are being tested and placed in quarantine centres.
“Sometimes they say they still see migrant workers shopping in the area. Perhaps they are not from Top Glove but other factories, because I’m made to understand there are many factories in the area,” he added.
Ismail said the government has also set up a special task force to monitor the Covid-19 situation at Top Glove.
The task force comprises the Selangor State Security Council, Selangor Health Department, Klang District Office, Klang Municipal Council, and the Klang police.
“We believe with the formation of this task force, they will surely be able to control the situation around Top Glove.”
The factories in Meru are at the centre of the Teratai cluster, which surpassed the Sri Petaling Tabligh cluster yesterday to become the largest Covid-19 cluster ever recorded in Malaysia.
Health Ministry figures showed that 5,777 people have been tested for Covid-19 in the cluster up to noon yesterday, of which 4,036 were positive.
The government had announced an enhanced MCO on the workers’ dormitories in Meru and surrounding areas from Nov 16 to 30, but allowed the factories to continue operations with workers ferried from outside the area under enhanced MCO.
However, as more cases were being detected, the government ordered the factories to be closed in stages on Nov 23 to facilitate testing and quarantine.
Top Glove executive chairperson Lim Wee Chai said the company expects the factories to be reopened in two to three weeks, based on past closures of other factories and shopping centres affected by Covid-19 cases. - Mkini
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