KUALA LUMPUR – Johor ruler Sultan Ibrahim Sultan Iskandar has suggested that states with high Covid-19 cases be put under a full-scaled movement control order (MCO) for two weeks without derailing the national economy completely.
“I recommend a full lockdown on a targeted basis according to state or region. For example, the southern zones of Johor, Melaka and Negri Sembilan should be under full lockdown for two weeks, followed by other zones such as the east coast (Pahang, Terengganu, Kelantan).
“States that do not lockdown can resume economic activities under the MCO rules of their respective areas. With this, we are able to address the number of Covid-19 cases without shutting down the national economy,” he said in a Facebook post.
Sultan Ibrahim has expressed hopes that his idea will be considered by the state and federal governments.
“I propose this out of concern for the plight of our country. I hope it will be considered by the state government and the federal governments.”
Currently, the country is under its third movement control order, but eased restrictions compared to the first MCO in March last year.
Today, the country once again logged a record-high number of Covid-19 infections, breaching the 8,000-mark for the first time since the pandemic began.
In a tweet, Health Director-General Tan Sri Dr Noor Hisham Abdullah said 8,290 new daily cases were reported today, taking the cumulative tally of infections to 549,514. – The Vibes, May 28, 2021
