‘STAY HOME DURING CMCO IF YOU CAN’
Adhere to SOP from previous phases of MCO, urges minister
THE public is advised to continue to stay at home if they have nothing urgent to attend to during the Conditional Movement Control Order (CMCO) period, which starts tomorrow.
Defence Minister Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob said it was crucial that people continue to adhere to the Prevention and Control of Infectious Diseases Act 1988 as the battle against Covid-19 was not over yet.
Ismail Sabri advised the people to adhere to the standard operating procedure (SOP) introduced during the previous phases of the Movement Control Order (MCO) and avoid going out if it was not essential.
“Although the government has provided some degree of freedom for the people to go out (under the CMCO), it does not mean they can leave their homes as they please.
“During the previous phases of the MCO, you went out only when it was necessary. Why can’t you do the same now?
“The fight against Covid-19 is not over yet. Protecting people from the risk of infection is not only the duty of the government.
“The people must have self-discipline and contribute by playing their part, not just by protecting themselves from Covid-19, but also their family members and the community,” he said in his daily press briefing here yesterday.
He said the government was prepared to face any possibility in the event that the number of infections rises following its decision to relax some of the restrictions under the MCO.
Although the government allowed some businesses and social activities to resume during the CMCO, he said, action could be taken against those who failed to comply with the SOP under Act 342.
He said the government would not hesitate to close down business premises if their owners flouted the MCO.
“The government has not lifted the MCO and Act 342 is still in force. We are only relaxing some restrictions by allowing some economic sectors to resume operations in stages.”
He said the country’s borders would remain closed to prevent imported Covid-19 cases.
Ismail Sabri said this when asked to comment on the situation in Hokkaido, Japan, which recorded an increase in the number of infections after lifting its state of emergency in midMarch.
“The situation in our country (under the CMCO) won’t be like in Hokkaido. Our borders will remain closed to foreigners.
“The present SOP, which requires Malaysians returning from abroad to be placed under a 14-day quarantine, is still in place.”
To another question, he said airlines were allowed to resume operations for domestic routes provided that seat arrangements in the aircraft followed social distancing rules.
“At the moment, flights (for domestic routes) are still operating. However, if an aircraft can carry 100 passengers, it is allowed to carry only 50 passengers in line with social distancing rules.”
Up to yesterday, 23,226 people have been arrested since the MCO came into force on March 18.
Ismail Sabri said the Housing and Local Government Ministry carried out 5,069 disinfection exercises since the end of March.
He said 26,828 Malaysian citizens returning from abroad had been placed under quarantine at 237 centres since April 3.
“Since April 17, 13,672 people have completed their quarantine and have been allowed to return home.”
He said Malaysians who had been stranded locally since the MCO began would be allowed to travel between May 7 and 10.
He said police had received more than 500,000 applications via the Gerak Malaysia application from those who wanted to return to the city from their hometowns or vice versa.
“We will allow them to return and the police will come up with the travel schedule.”
He said police would issue a press statement on the travel schedule.
He advised civil servants not to rush back home even though the public sector was allowed to resume work tomorrow.
He urged private sector employers to allow their employees to return to work according to the travel schedule.