THIRTEEN localities around Pekan Bayan Lepas in the southwest district of Penang will be placed under the enhanced movement control order (EMCO) from June 4 to 17, affecting some 10,000 residents.
Penang Island City Council (MBPP) mayor Datuk Yew Tung Seang said the affected areas, covering 87 acres, include a total of 2,380 residential units and 83 commercial buildings.
The affected areas are Sri Bayu, Bayu Tira, Bayan Nyaman, Halaman Murni, Bayan Permai, Bayan Tiara, Taman Ara Indah, Kampung Bukit, Kampung Perlis, Kampung Perlis, Jalan Mahkamah, Kampung Pak Lah and Lebuh Kampung Bukit.
Yew said a detailed set of standard operating procedures (SOPs) would be announced soon by the authorities.
In an earlier press conference today, Senior Minister for Security Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob said the National Security Council (NSC) took the decision to enforce the EMCO following the recent spike in Covid-19 cases in the said areas.
Yew said 83 new cases were reported in the last two weeks in the area, bringing the total to 250 cases.
“We have to wait for NSC to release the SOPs, which is expected to be similar to the ones imposed previously, or even stricter.
“We will have around 33 MBPP staff on the ground every single day during the EMCO period to ensure cleanliness and safety of the people there.
“The police force will also soon announce and enforce more roadblocks in the affected areas to ensure people living in those areas do not flout the SOPs,” Yew said during a virtual press conference via Zoom today.
Separately, Ismail Sabri had also mentioned that screenings carried out among close contacts showed the infectivity rate at 19.6% while screenings in the community indicated an infectivity rate of 10.7%.
Story and pix by Kevin Vimal