KUALA LUMPUR: Several localities in Sabah, Sarawak and Pahang will be placed under the Enhanced Movement Control Order (EMCO) from May 24-June 6 following a significant spike in COVID-19 cases during a short period in these areas.

Senior Minister (Security) Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob said in a statement that the localities in Sabah involved Kampung Melikai, Kuala Penyu as well as Silimpopon Estate and Silimpopon Mill, Kalabakan.

He said 15 residents in Kampung Melikai had been confirmed to be COVID-19 positive, so far, while 42 cases were detected in Silimpopon Estate and Silimpopon Mill.

He said that the EMCO would also be enforced in the Nyalu Long House in Mukah, Sarawak after 79 residents tested positive as of today.

As for Pahang, the affected areas involved the housing estates and villages around Gau, Temerloh, namely Taman Gau Indah, Taman Gau Makmur, Taman Gau Aman, Taman Gau Idaman and Kampung Gau Baru, which recorded 16 positive cases as of yesterday.

Aside from that, the EMCO would also be enforced in seven sub-districts in the Kuantan district, namely in Beserah, Kuala Kuantan 1 and 2, Penor, Sungai Karang, Ulu Kuantan and Ulu Lepar.

Ismail Sabri said that, so far, the Ministry of Health (MOH) had completed 6,548 screening tests, of which 619 returned positive, in these localities.

He also said that the EMCO in Taman Tanah Putih Baru, Kuantan, Pahang as well as the Jali and Lanyau long houses in Mukah, Sarawak, would end tomorrow after a downward trend in the number of cases and the clusters were under control.

Meanwhile, he said police arrested 495 individuals for flouting the standard operating procedure (SOP) yesterday, with 476 compounded, 15 remanded and four released on bail.

"Under the nationwide Ops Benteng yesterday, 20 illegal immigrants were detained while two land vehicles were seized," he said.

-- BERNAMA