KUALA LUMPUR, Oct 26 — The government today announced a two-week extension of the Conditional Movement Control Order (CMCO) in Klang Valley, on the basis that some locations still had high risk of Covid-19 transmission.
Senior Defence Minister Ismail Sabri Yaakob also introduced a two-week CMCO in Nilai, Negeri Sembilan, effective from October 28 to November 10.
The government has previously announced the CMCO implementation in Kuala Lumpur, Putrajaya, and Selangor, from October 14 until October 27.
However, so far, a risk assessment conducted by the Ministry of Health (MOH) found that there are still locations in the Klang Valley with high risk for Covid-19 transmission, said Ismail Sabri.
“Taking into account the risk assessment of this pandemic, the government agrees to extend the implementation of CMCO in Kuala Lumpur, Putrajaya and Selangor for another 14 days starting October 27 until November 9,” Ismail Sabri told a press conference today.
Former Health Minister Dzulkefly Ahmad, who is also head of Selangor’s Covid-19 task force (STFC), told CodeBlue previously that the sudden reintroduction of CMCO in Selangor, KL and Putrajaya, when Covid-19 cases were previously under control, is an admission of failure of other less damaging public health measures that should have been activated much earlier.
The daily average of Covid-19 cases in Selangor in the past two weeks from October 12 to 25 is fewer than 100 in the country’s most developed state with an estimated 6.5 million population. The capital city of Kuala Lumpur has generally recorded below 30 Covid-19 cases daily in that period, while Malaysia’s administrative centre Putrajaya has reported even fewer cases.
The initial implementation of CMCO in Selangor, Putrajaya and Kuala Lumpur from October 14 until October 27 was just to pre-empt yellow zones from turning red, according to MOH.
The Defence Ministry also announced the implementation of CMCO, in Nilai zone following an increase of Covid-19 cases among the foreign nationals there.
“After getting advice from MOH and taking into account the increase in Cobid-19 cases in this locality, NSC’s special session today agreed to implement CMCO in Nilai Zone, effective from October 28 until November 10.”
All economic sectors are allowed to operate in this locality, whereas all social activities will be suspended. Activities in mosques and suraus will not be allowed, except the call for prayers and daily five-time prayers. The number of attendees to these religious institutions will be determined by the state religious authority.
At the same time, an Enhanced Movement Control Order (EMCO) will be implemented at Putra Point, Nilai from October 28 until November 10. That includes areas situated in Jalan BBN 1/7B, Jalan BBN 1/7F and Jalan BBN 1/2E.
The two workers’ quarters there have been found to contribute to the rise of Covid-19 cases in Negeri Sembilan.
“The implementation of EMCO aimed to curb infections and Covid-19 transmission as well as to enable targeted case tracking activities for a period of 14 days,” Ismail Sabri said.
