SARAWAK Deputy Chief Minister Douglas Uggah said the state will not implement the movement-control order (MCO) that was announced by the Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin yesterday.

He said the conditional movement-control order (CMCO) that the state had put in place as its Covid-19 “circuit breaker” since last Friday will be continued, with some tightening to the standard operating procedure (SOP).

Chief Minister Abang Johari Openg, meanwhile, in his Raya message said the state would enforce the enhanced movement-control order (EMCO) selectively, particularly in areas where cases of infection occur.

Sarawak follows Sabah in not implementing the “nationwide” MCO announced by Muhyiddin yesterday.

Sabah announced late last night it will also not implement the MCO but continue with its CMCO.

Uggah also said the state disaster management committee, which he chairs, at its meeting today, had decided to ban dine-in in all restaurants, coffee shops, bistros, cafes and food stalls starting tomorrow.

They are only allowed to do takeaways or deliveries.

He said the meeting also ordered premises that have been identified by the Hotspot Identification for Dynamic Engagement (HIDE) system as high-risk places to implement the necessary preventive measures.

The CMCO was to end on June 7, way past the Gawai Dayak rice harvest festival, which falls on June 1.

Chief Minister Abang Johari Openg in his Raya message had said the disaster committee has decided not to implement the MCO due to its past experience with the first MCO.

He said the state government has to take into account the impact of the MCO on economic activities in the state.

The chief minister said a blanket imposition of the MCO “will cause harm to the state’s economy which had been severely impacted by the MCO and then the CMCO in the past year.

“The state economy must continue to be generated so that our people do not lose their jobs and development programmes continue to be implemented,” he added.

He said the policy of the state was to enforce the enhanced movement-control order (EMCO) selectively, particularly in areas where cases of infection occur.

He said that would be in line with its policy of “track, test, quarantine, isolate”.

That, Abang Johari added, was found to be a more practical method compared to shutting down an entire district or state with the MCO.

Sarawak recorded 512 new Covid-19 cases today and two more deaths.

The bulk of the cases, 326 or 63%, are in the Miri, Bintulu and Subis districts. – May 11, 2021.