Melaka considers implementing enhanced MCO at correctional facility

MELAKA (Bernama): The Melaka government is considering implementing the enhanced MCO at the Jasin Correctional Centre following a sudden spike in Covid-19 cases involving the inmates and detainees.

Chief Minister Datuk Seri Sulaiman Md Ali (pic) said it was to enable comprehensive close contact screening and centralised contact quarantine to be carried out as well as for control and prevention measures to curb the virus from spreading to prison personnel and the community.

"I would like to clarify the increase in Covid-19 cases is confined to the Jasin Correctional Centre, there is no transmission in the community and the situation is under control," he said in a statement issued by the Melaka Chief Minister's Office here on Friday (Dec 18).

Sulaiman said investigations revealed that the cause of the transmission of Covid-19 at the correctional facility was traced to the inmates and new detainees from Kajang and Sungai Buloh prisons related to the Jalan Harapan prison cluster as well as due to overcrowding.

He said Melaka recorded a surge in Covid-19 cases from Dec 12 to Dec 17 where the cumulative number of individuals confirmed positive was 551 cases, detected from the targeted screening exercise conducted among the facility’s new inmates and detainees.

Currently, the Jasin Correctional Centre serves as a transit point, especially for new male inmates in Melaka aside from A Famosa Detention Transit Centre, he said, adding that 880 new inmates and detainees were received from Nov 22 until Dec 16 and all of them had undergone the Covid-19 screening.

For information and enquiries, the public can contact the Melaka Crisis Preparedness and Response Centre (CPRC) at 06-2356999/ 6581 or email to [e-mail].- Bernama