In a statement today, senior minister for security Ismail Sabri Yaakob said that health authorities have detected 125 positive Covid-19 cases after testing 349 people at the hostel in Kampung Acheh.

He said the EMCO would allow the health ministry to conduct targeted screenings on all of the hostel’s residents and prevent the virus from spreading within the community.

“The health ministry has confirmed a sharp increase in the number of cases in this locality, with a high rate of infection,” he said.

Meanwhile, Ismail said 253 people were arrested by the police yesterday over MCO-related offences.

He added that 231 of them were issued compounds and 22 were remanded.

Most of the offences, he said, were for failing to provide materials for contact tracing registration (75).

Among the other offences were failing to wear a face mask (61), gambling (52) and crossing districts or states without permission (37).

Meanwhile, a total of 3,483 compliance task force teams were deployed to conduct checks on 22,353 supermarkets, restaurants, hawker stalls, factories, banks, government offices, as well as land, water and air transport terminals.

The authorities also detained six undocumented migrants and confiscated seven vehicles yesterday as part of the ongoing Op Benteng.

On mandatory home quarantine, Ismail said of the 130,115 people who arrived through KLIA from July 24 to Feb 23 and placed under quarantine, 689 tested positive and were sent to hospital for treatment.

Meanwhile, 121,525 were allowed to return home and 7,901 are still undergoing mandatory quarantine.

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