PUTRAJAYA (THE STAR/ASIA NEWS NETWORK) - A new standard operating procedure (SOP) for areas under two types of movement control order (MCO) has been drawn up as the government looks for more effective intervention into the current state of the Covid-19 pandemic, said Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob.

These will be areas under the conditional MCO and recovery MCO, which is nationwide.

The Senior Minister said the National Security Council (NSC) had its technical meeting and had drawn up a list of new SOP, reported The Star on Wednesday (Nov 04).

The suggested procedures had been tabled at the special NSC meeting chaired by Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin.

"We have asked the NSC to fine-tune, update and give improvements to their proposal to avoid any confusion when it is announced later.

"We do not want the public to be confused about what is to be announced, " he added.

Mr Ismail Sabri said the council was expected to table their proposal to the special meeting again in two or three days' time.

However, there are no details on the proposed SOP, which may possibly be stricter than what is currently in place.

The Prime Minister, who had expressed his concerns on the Covid-19 situation at the meeting, said the government planned to re-evaluate the SOP for conditional MCO for a speedier and more effective intervention.

Mr Muhyiddin said the actions taken previously by the government had been able to control the spread of the virus, but looking at the situation now, a mitigated approach, which would be quicker, was needed.

Mr Ismail Sabri had also said on Monday that the government had received various proposals for dealing with the increased Covid-19 cases in Selangor and Kuala Lumpur, which include stricter SOP and proactive measures on localities still in the yellow zone category.

Selangor, Sabah, Kuala Lumpur and Putrajaya have been placed in a second round of 14-day conditional MCO.

The latest area placed under the same order is the district of Seremban involving nine sub-districts.

In his daily media briefing on Tuesday, Mr Ismail Sabri said residents in enhanced MCO areas could contact the state disaster management committee or the National Security Council should they require more food supply.

He explained that the respective state disaster committees were in charge of the distribution of food to those in the affected areas.

"This should not be a problem as all assistance has been channelled to the respective state national disaster committee for distribution, " he said.

"If there are those who are in need of food supply, they can also contact the NSC headquarters and National Disaster Management Agency and they will act accordingly and relay the information to the relevant authorities, " he added.

He was asked about claims that some people in certain areas under the enhanced MCO had run out of food rations and could not replenish them since they were not allowed to leave the house.

Responding to a question, Mr Ismail Sabri said foreigners who were under a lockdown in enhanced MCO areas were also given food supply.

"We distribute food to them as well but in most cases, their food packs come from contributions by NGOs.

"But whatever it is, foreigners are not left out and are given food based on humanitarian grounds, " he said.