KUALA LUMPUR (THE STAR/ASIA NEWS NETWORK) - The Johor Baru training institute of Malaysia's Health Ministry will be placed under a full lockdown from Tuesday (Nov 3) after Covid-19 cases were discovered.
Senior Minister (Defence cluster) Ismail Sabri Yaakob said the institute will be placed under enhanced movement control order (EMCO), with food packets to be sent in to residents.
This is because under the EMCO, no one is generally allowed to leave the designated area for two weeks, even to buy food or medicines.
"A total of 1,515 people there were screened and tested, and 46 of them tested positive for Covid-19.
"The institute will be placed under enhanced MCO from Nov 3-16," he said at his daily Covid-19 briefing.
The lockdown comes at a time when Johor Baru district, that includes JB city and Iskandar Puteri (formerly Nusajaya), has been classified as a red zone from last Thursday (Oct 29), after more than 40 coronavirus cases were detected in the last two weeks.
The red zone designation is meant to put residents on alert of a spike in cases and for them to follow health protocols more strictly, but still allows free inter-district travel.
The JB training institute consists of 1,559 individuals, including trainees, staff and their family members, said Mr Ismail.
"Food will be supplied through the state government and the Welfare Department. Targeted screenings will be continued at the location," he said.
Mr Ismail urged those involved to adhere to the standard operating procedures, including not going in and out of the institute.
Malaysia on Monday reported 834 new Covid-19 infections in the last 24 hours, with Sabah recording 60 per cent of the cases (503), the Health Ministry said. There were eight new cases reported in Johor state.
There were two new Covid-19 fatalities to bring the death toll to 251.
