KUALA LUMPUR : The Enhanced Movement Control Order (EMCO) will be implemented at the Imperial Garments workers’ hostel at Anjung Tawas Damai flat in Perak for 14 days starting tomorrow, following a spike in COVID-19 cases in the locality with high infectivity rate.

Senior Minister (Security Cluster) Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob, in a statement, said the decision was made after a risk assessment was conducted which saw 213 people reported to be COVID-19 positive out of 524 screening tests.

The government also agreed to extend the EMCO at the Tapah Prison and its staff quarters in Batang Padang, Perak, which was scheduled to end tomorrow, from March 2 to March 15 as the infection was still spreading among detainees.

To date, the Health Ministry (MOH) has conducted 875 screening tests in the prison, of which 178 positive cases have been recorded, he said.

Meanwhile, the EMCO at Sekolah Menengah Kebangsaan Sultan Idris Shah II in Gerik, Perak will end tomorrow as scheduled, after the MOH confirmed that there are no more active cases in the locality, the situation is under control and no more screening samples are waiting for results.

On violations of the MCO standard operating procedures, Ismail Sabri said a total of 509 individuals were arrested yesterday, of which 472 were compounded while 37 others were remanded. Entertainment centres recorded the highest offences with 114 detained.

Seven illegal immigrants were detained while a vessel and three land vehicles were also seized in yesterday’s Op Benteng.

-- BERNAMA