‘Obey MCO to shorten its period’
Concerns over movement control extension can be resolved though compliance
Whether the movement control order (MCO) will be extended depends on public compliance with it, says Senior Minister Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob.
“Many have asked whether there will be Phase 3 or Phase 4, if they have to spend Ramadan under MCO, if they can celebrate Hari Raya Aidilfitri, and if they can return to their normal lives.
“If you comply with the order and standard operating procedure, I believe concerns over having to see the MCO being extended further can be resolved,” he said yesterday.
Ismail Sabri reminded the public to comply with the MCO as the second phase would see sterner actions by authorities against violators.
“The rules now will be tighter. It is not worth a month or two in prison because one cannot stay at home,” he said, citing an example where individuals in Sarawak violating the MCO were jailed between one and four months.
Ismail Sabri also noted that there were fewer people arrested at roadblocks and during patrols on Monday, with 742 individuals nabbed compared to 828 on Sunday.
“I hope this reflects a trend where people realise the importance of complying with the MCO and the consequences for failing to do so.”
On Monday, the police and army mounted 1,547 roadblocks nationwide, checked 383,488 vehicles and conducted over 22,000 spot checks.
In Putrajaya, Health director-general Datuk Dr Noor Hisham Abdullah said Malaysia achieved 19.4% recoveries out of its total Covid-19 positive cases.
He added 58 patients were discharged Wednesday, bringing a total of 537 recoveries in Malaysia.
He also announced 140 new cases, for a tally of 2,766 cases.
“As of now, 94 positive Covid-19 cases are being treated at Intensive
Care Units (ICU), with 60 patients requiring ventilators,” he said at a press conference here yesterday.
Malaysia also recorded six more deaths in the country, including the death of its first foreign patient.
Patient 1275, a 40-year-old Indonesian, died at the Sarawak General Hospital at 1.38am.
As of Tuesday, 43 people have died due to the virus – 1.55% out of the total number of positive cases.
Dr Noor Hisham said throughout the first two weeks of the MCO, the trend showed the number of new cases either rising or constant, while the number of those discharged continue to increase.
“This data shows that there are some effects of the mitigation activities organised in the past month.
“The next two weeks are crucial; it would show if the government’s actions have the intended impact.
“This boils down to adherence to the MCO,” said Dr Noor Hisham.