SOME 16, 000 residents of the Desa Rejang Public Housing flats in Setapak Jaya, Kuala Lumpur hope that generous Malaysians will step in to provide fresh food for the community as they go under lockdown for the next two weeks.
Residents living in the 12 blocks of flats have been placed under enhanced movement control order from June 18 to July 1, after health authorities confirmed a sharp rise in Covid-19 positive cases there within a short period of time.
Desa Rejang Residents Association chairman Mohd Noor Md Tahir said while the Welfare Department (JKM) would be assisting by contributing dry provisions, sourcing for fresh food remains a challenge.
“JKM will only be providing basic provisions once a week for each family, but we will have to source for other food items ourselves.
“As there are many residents here, it would be difficult to bring in enough food for everyone.
“Some residents managed to buy provisions a day before the lockdown but it would not last the entire period, ” he said, adding that there was also worry that the enhanced MCO could be extended beyond the two weeks.
He said although residents were concerned, most have stayed calm as barbed wire fencing was installed around all the blocks yesterday morning.
“We were informed that the Titiwangsa district health office will be carrying out targeted screening for residents, starting with senior citizens, children under two as well as other vulnerable groups.
“There has been a spike in cases since last month, some of which were due to residents visiting other homes.
“Most of the recent cases, however, were from those who had contracted the virus in their workplaces and later infected their families, ” Mohd Noor said.
On Wednesday, Senior Minister Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob said that out of 3, 512 residents screened in the locality, 264 confirmed cases were reported with the positivity rate in the area at 7.52%.
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