KUALA LUMPUR – The Tapah prison complex together with its staff quarters has been placed under the enhanced movement control order (EMCO), becoming the latest jail complex hit by Covid-19 to be subjected to an intense lockdown.
Senior Minister (Security) Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob said in his daily Covid-19 statement that the Health Ministry (MoH) has reported a spike in cases at the prison and recommended a lockdown on that specific site.
The EMCO is scheduled to be enforced there from tomorrow till March 1.
“Up till today, there have been 55 Covid-19 positive cases recorded (there) following screening tests conducted on 187 individuals,” he said.
“MoH confirmed a spike in Covid-19 infections in a short time among the prisoners there.”
He said implementing the order will make it easier for MoH to conduct targeted screenings on all prisoners, staff, and their close contacts to ensure that infections in the community are contained.
The standard operating procedures (SOPs) for the temporary EMCO will include a specification for no human movement in and out of the compound.
Meanwhile, the Sg Udang prison in Melaka will have its EMCO extended from Wednesday until March 2 due to pending sample test results of 21 individuals.
However, the EMCO for the prison staff quarters will end as scheduled tomorrow, he said.
On a positive note, Ismail Sabri announced that EMCO for areas such as Felda Bersia in Hulu Perak in Perak and Kg Sg Ud in Dalat, Sarawak, will end as scheduled tomorrow as no positive cases have been identified following a thorough screening.
Meanwhile, the authorities apprehended 1,111 individuals for breaching Covid-19 SOPs yesterday. Of these, 1,040 were issued compounds and 71 were held under remand.
The offences recorded were for crossing district or state borders without approval (306 cases), lack of physical distancing (300), failure to prepare equipment to record customer details (107), not wearing face masks (97), leaving home without reasonable excuses (68), ferrying extra passengers (58), having entertainment outlet activities (55), operating at unauthorised premises or beyond the authorised time (11), and other violations (109).
Border patrols under Ops Benteng lto curb illegal immigration led to the arrests of 22 illegal migrants and seizure of six land transportation vehicles. – The Vibes, February 15, 2021
