By Karen Bong
KUCHING, Jan 15: All residents in Sibu, Kanowit and Selangau are not allowed to leave their homes or residences except to get food, daily necessities, medicine or dietary supplements for the next two weeks once Movement Control Order (MCO) is enforced at midnight.
Roads into MCO areas will be closed and entry will be closely monitored by the police.
The police with the assistance of the military, Rela and Civil Defence Force will also enforce the compliance to standard operating procedure (SOP).
The latest MCO SOP, which has just been released, also stated that only two persons from one household are allowed to go out for essential activities.
A maximum of three persons including patients is allowed to seek healthcare or medical services.
Movement within MCO areas and beyond are allowed for emergency cases such as death whereby police permit is required.
Non-governmental organisations (NGOs) assisting in disasters and providing humanitarian aid are also required to obtain police permit to deliver items to the Sibu Division Disaster Management Committee for distribution.
Those performing official and judicial duties are allowed to move around with authorisation letters from employees.
For the purpose of mosque, surau and other places of worship management, a maximum of five committee members are allowed to be present.
Friday prayers are to be conducted according to SOP issued by the State Islamic Authority while other religions are to comply with the guidelines issued by Unit for Other Religions (Unifor).
There are six sectors identified as essential economic sectors and allowed to operate are manufacturing, construction, services, trade and supply, agriculture and commodity as well as shipbuilding and maintenance and timber.
All sectors listed as essential services registered with ministries and agencies are allowed to operate and employees movement are subjected to operation registrations while authorisation letters by employers are required.
In addition, only 30 per cent of management-level employees are allowed to be in office while for the support group, the number required at any one time would be determined by their respective employers.
Food and beverage supply chain, water, energy, communications and internet, security and defense, public transportation, furniture production, municipality and local government, healthcare and medical services, including dietary supplements, are essential services.
Other essential services are hotel, banking and finance, e-commerce, professional services such as accounting and law firms, public transportation, automotive restricted to maintenance as well as logistics confined to the provision of essential services. — DayakDaily
