THE Health Ministry is looking at empowering local communities to protect “green zones” from Covid-19, said Director-General Dr Noor Hisham Abdullah.

Green zones are areas that are free of infection. Currently, there are 32 such zones nationwide.

Dr Noor Hisham said green zones like longhouses in Sabah and Sarawak, as well as Orang Asli villages, must be safeguarded.

Some communities have barred outsiders from entering their settlements, helping keep their areas safe, he said.

“At condominiums, the management can take precautionary measures. For example, (outsiders) can be screened. There are guards (who can do that).

“So, we protect the place from outside cases,” he said on the sidelines of a press conference in Putrajaya today.

He added that the authorities will look at enforcing the enhanced movement-control order at hotspots where 10 or more coronavirus cases are detected in a day.

Earlier today, Dr Noor Hisham announced that the number of infections in Malaysia has risen to 3,333 with 53 deaths. – April 3, 2020.