Youth and Sports Ministry: Gyms, sports and recreational centres in MCO districts must close from tomorrow
KUALA LUMPUR, May 6 — Effective tomorrow, gyms and other sporting facilities in districts under the movement control order (MCO) must temporarily suspend operations, the Youth and Sports Ministry (KBS) announced today.
In a statement, the ministry said this was decided at the National Security Council (NSC) meeting that Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin chaired yesterday.
It said that the order covers commercial operators, public facilities and open areas.
“KBS brought several proposals to be discussed and considered at the NSC Technical Committee Meeting and the special meeting. Considerations and decisions made at the special meeting are based on risk assessment by the Ministry of Health (MOH) and also after taking into account current challenges and developments in the interest of public health in line with the efforts to curb the spread of Covid-19, especially in the community.
“KBS is confident that this decision is temporary and will always support the MOH’s efforts to curb the spread of Covid-19 and flatten the infection curve. Risk assessment by authorities such as the MOH will be made from time to time and the permission for the sports and recreation sector/activities to be allowed to operate again is the main commitment of KBS.
“Datuk Seri Reezal Merican Naina Merican, the Minister of Youth and Sports always understands the concerns and plight of sports industry players, especially operators of commercial facilities and recreation, which were forced to close with this latest decision in the MCO areas. This decision is temporary to jointly assist the government in reducing and curbing the spread of the Covid-19 pandemic in our community and country in general,” the statement read.
KBS said that for areas under the conditional movement control order (CMCO) and the recovery movement control order (RMCO), the standard operating procedures (SOPs) remain the same as the sports and recreation sector SOPs which was updated on April 1.
On Tuesday, the government announced that the third MCO would be enforced in the six Selangor districts of Hulu Langat, Petaling, Gombak, Klang, Kuala Langat and Sepang.
A day later, the government announced the MCO would also be enforced in Kuala Lumpur, after its perplexing omission from the partial lockdown imposed on all the Selangor districts surrounding it.
Senior Defence Minister Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob said in a statement that the NSC decided this after considering the emergence of 17 Covid-19 clusters in Kuala Lumpur over the past week.
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