PUTRAJAYA: Two prisons in Sandakan and Tawau in Sabah will be placed under enhanced movement control order (MCO) beginning Nov 6 following an increase in Covid-19 positive cases detected there, says Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob.
The Senior Minister (Security) said in Sandakan, the order will be enforced in the Sandakan Prison as well as at the staff quarters in Taman Wira, involving 1,605 individuals comprising 1,308 detainees and 297 staff members.
“Both prisons have seen a spike in the number of positive cases and on the advice of the Health Ministry, the National Security Council (NSC) special meeting has agreed to enforce the enhanced MCO.
“The order will be enforced from Nov 6 until Nov 19,” he said on Thursday (Nov 5).
As of Nov 5, the Health Ministry had screened 669 individuals and the outcome was 111 people were positive.
In Tawau, the order is enforced on the temporary detention centre and will involve 1,707 individuals including 104 staff members.
The minister said as of Nov 4, 400 individuals among both detainees and staff, were found to be positive with Covid-19.
“By enforcing the order, the health authorities are able to carry out targeted screening on those in the affected areas. Existing standard operating procedure for enhanced MCO applies,” he said.
The minister also announced the extension of the same order that is in place for Anjung Teduh Felda Sahabat in Lahad Datu, Sabah.
The extension will be from Nov 7 to Nov 20.
Ismail Sabri said the enhanced MCO in localities in Semporna and Kunak in Sabah and Pokok Sena Prison in Kedah, which will end on Friday (Nov 6), will proceed as scheduled.
He said this was decided by the NSC special meeting after hearing risk evaluation and recommendations from the Health Ministry.
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