KUALA LUMPUR, February 2 — The movement control order (MCO) will be extended in all Malaysian states except Sarawak from 5 February until 18 February 2021, said the Defence Minister Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakoub.
He added that the government decided to extend the MCO after the Ministry of Health reported that COVID-19 cases in all states are still high, with a high infectivity rate.
“Following this, the National Security Council special meeting has agreed to extend the MCO starting from Feb 5 to Feb 18,” he said.
The minister said inter-state travel is barred for the next phase of MCO.
“Inter-state travel will not be permitted. When the government opened borders previously, it led to an increase in positive COVID-19 cases.” He said.
According to Ismail Sabri, more than 21 clusters linked to inter-state travel have appeared after opening the borders for travel.
Also known as MCO 2.0, the movement control order was introduced back in 2021 on 13 January and included six states: Selangor, Johor, Penang, Sabah, Melaka, and Kelantan. Along with the federal territories in Kuala Lumpur, Putrajaya and Labuan.
The order was extended later until 4 February and was enlarged to include all states except the eastern state of Sarawak.
According to the MCO, only particular sectors are allowed to operate with strictly adhering to standard operating procedures. Simultaneously, most people are required to work from home while inter-state and inter-district travel is banned.
Source: ASWAQ/Bernama
