He said the international trade and industry ministry had also closed shops that were not on the list of essential services, including clothing retail stores that were adamant on remaining open. “A total of 16 non-factory premises were also closed so far,” he told the media during a press conference.

He was asked to respond to the rise in workplace and factory clusters, which have recorded thousands of Covid-19 cases in the country.

He maintained that factory management must screen all foreign workers. “If they fail, we will take action.” He also said the factory will be asked to temporarily suspend operations if there are any Covid-19 cases.

“We are serious in ensuring that there are no infections in factories. We will immediately force them to close temporarily until all Covid-19 cases have recovered and all workers are confirmed to be free of the disease.

“These are among the actions we will take to ensure that the manufacturing sector does not contribute to the rise in daily cases,” he said.

Clarifying the interstate travel exemptions for long-distance couples, Ismail said even though couples can travel, they are still required to get police approval.

“Just because they can travel interstate it does not mean they can do this freely,” he said.

Recently, Ismail announced that married couples living in separate parts of the country were allowed to travel interstate to be with each other.