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Dr Noor Hisham: Please step forward for testing when govt announces CMCO or TEMCO in your area, it’s free

Health director-general Tan Sri Dr Noor Hisham Abdullah speaks during a press conference in Putrajaya on November 21, 2020. — Picture by Miera Zulyana
Health director-general Tan Sri Dr Noor Hisham Abdullah speaks during a press conference in Putrajaya on November 21, 2020. — Picture by Miera Zulyana

KUALA LUMPUR, Nov 23 — The Ministry of Health (MOH) hopes individuals who are in an area designated a conditional movement control order (CMCO) or a targeted enhanced movement control order (TEMCO) will step forward for testing instead of running away.

Health director-general Tan Sri Dr Noor Hisham Abdullah said the tests are free so they need not run. The only ones who may run away are undocumented migrants who fear being detained.

“When we announce the CMCO or TEMCO in the area, the public should come forward for testing as it’s provided for them by MOH, instead of running away.

“We believe those undocumented workers will try to run away as the fear is we will screen them and detain them. Hence, working closely with the police to trace these individuals, like what we did for the Sri Petaling cluster before, is important,” he said today during his briefing from Putrajaya.

Dr Noor Hisham was responding to a question from the media where he was asked how MOH controls the spread of Covid-19 people in an area designated under an MCO when they make the announcement a day or two beforehand.

In the past, several areas designated as high risk have seen residents run away, try to sneak in at night or go missing entirely after it’s cordoned off from the public due to a spike in cases.

When MOH made the announcement early, some have decided to pack their bags and hide instead of stepping forward to take the tests. Case in point, over 400 residents of Medan, Sepang did not return home after receiving information that an EMCO would be placed in their area.

“This is why our collaboration with the police is important as we now have the mechanisms in place to hunt the missing persons,” he added.

Malaysia recorded its highest ever cases of Covid-19 today at 1,884 cases. Of that, 1,209 are from Selangor while the remainder came from Sabah and Kuala Lumpur. Two deaths were reported today as well.

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