Status quo for certain sectors

PUTRAJAYA: Security personnel, restaurant and retail outlet workers, traders, grocery and convenience store employees are among those not affected by the work from home order, which starts today.

Senior Minister Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob said civil servants not in essential services as well as workers in industries under the International Trade and Industry Ministry were the ones who had to follow this directive.

Employees in other sectors categorised as informal sectors are allowed to work as usual with the standard operating procedure (SOP) stipulated under the conditional movement control order (MCO).

Police and armed forces personnel, public transport workers, taxi drivers, plantation and agriculture workers, e-hailing as well as delivery service providers are also allowed to work as normal.

“The work from home directive will remain for as long as the conditional MCO is enforced. If it is extended, then the order will continue to be in place.

“Employers are reminded to issue travel permission letters to staff who are allowed to work during this period, ” he said yesterday.

The list of industries whose workers are to work from home can be viewed on the Miti website.

On the issue of swab tests, Ismail Sabri said although the government was not making it mandatory, it was highly recommended that red zone workers get tested to ensure those who were in the office were free of Covid-19.

However, it is mandatory for those with symptoms to be tested.

Some one million workers in the public and private sectors in Selangor, Sabah, Kuala Lumpur, Putrajaya and Labuan will be working from home during the conditional MCO effective today as a measure to cut Covid-19 infections.

This decision involves around 800,000 workers in various industries in the private sector as well as close to 200,000 civil servants.

Ismail Sabri also said two areas in Sabah and Penang had been placed under the enhanced MCO due to a spike in cases.

The Seberang Perai prison and its staff quarters will be locked down from today until Nov 4 while Taman Harmoni people’s housing project in Sandakan will be under the order from tomorrow until Nov 5.