Renewed MCO in six states, CMCO in six more from Jan 13
The movement control order (MCO) will be reintroduced in six states while six more will remain under the conditional movement control order (CMCO) from January 13, Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin announced on Monday. He said both the renewed MCO and CMCO will run until at least until January 26. The prime minister said the Covid-19 pandemic was starting to overwhelm the country’s major public hospitals, 15 of which he said was already nearing their maximum capacity. All Federal Territories, Penang, Johor, Melaka, Selangor and Sabah will be under the MCO, while six others with the exception of Perlis and Sarawak, will be placed under the CMCO. Perlis and Sarawak will be placed under the recovery movement control order (RMCO). He pointed out that the states subject to the MCO were categorised as high-risk, based on a risk assessment by the MOH. Muhyiddin said that the monsoonal floods have also made things worse. (Malay Mail)
PM says threat to economy basis for Emergency
The threat to Malaysia’s economy due to a sustained spike in Covid-19 cases was the reason the Yang di-Pertuan Agong agreed to proclaim a state of Emergency, said Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin. The prime minister added that during the Emergency, the King can allow any ordinance to be made to reduce the number of Covid-19 cases, including taking over private hospitals and private properties. “Through this ordinance, we can get manpower help from private hospitals, more medical expertise, asets, facilities, labs and other utilities. This ordinance will help speed up affairs with private hospitals,” he said. The palace had released a statement saying the Yang di-Pertuan Agong Al-Sultan Abdullah Ri’ayatuddin Al-Mustafa Billah Shah has consented to a state of Emergency in the country until August 1, or until the current wave of Covid-19 subsides. Meanwhile, Muhyiddin also assured that all economic activities will proceed as usual with the movement control order (MCO) SOPs. (Malay Mail)
Home treatment, quarantine for mild Covid-19 cases
Covid-19 patients who have mild or no symptoms will undergo treatment and quarantine at home, but they will be monitored strictly by health workers, says Health Minister Datuk Seri Dr Adham Baba. A task force has been formed at the Crisis Preparedness and Emergency Response Centre level, state and district levels to monitor patients being treated at home, he added. The home quarantine applies to Level One and Level Two Covid-19 patients. Under the Health Ministry’s system, Level One is for positive cases that do not show any symptoms, while Level Two are patients who show mild symptoms. Level Three cases are patients with pneumonia, Level Four are those who have inflammation in the lungs and require oxygen while Level Five patients are those who come to the hospital in the late stages of the illness and require ventilator support. Dr Adham said the Level One and Two patients will be quarantined at home for 10 days and a screening test will be conducted on them on the last day. Ministry staff will assess the size of the house and number of occupants before allowing these patients to undergo treatment at their respective homes. He said Health director-general Tan Sri Dr Noor Hisham Abdullah will give details on the home treatment and quarantine soon. (The Star)
New beginning for Genting Valley abandoned project
The revival and rehabilitation of the Genting Valley Batang Kali abandoned project, located at Batang Kali in Hulu Selangor, is starting off on a positive note. Genting Valley was planned as a residential development comprising 665 bungalow plots over five phases and spread across 205 acres of land. The project commenced in 2000 but due to cash flow difficulties, building works had stopped in 2004 and was since abandoned. NCT Group agreed to rehabilitate the abandoned project and gave the purchasers the option to participate in the rehabilitation scheme with some additional costs, or to opt-out by surrendering their plots of land in the abandoned project in return for a full refund. In the coming months, the second stage of the revival plan is due to be revealed, giving a glimpse into the next four years when the project is due to complete. The project has been renamed Ion Lake Garden and it will feature five precincts, comprising double-storey terrace houses, semi-detached homes, and shop offices. The group is responsible for reviving Malaysia’s biggest abandoned project located in Bandar Baru Salak Tinggi and Pahang’s largest abandoned project in Genting Highlands, now known as Grand Ion Delemen. (NST Online)
Trump declares emergency in Washington DC ahead of inauguration
US President Donald Trump has declared a state of emergency from January 11 to January 24, 2021 in the nation’s capital ahead of President-elect Joe Biden’s inauguration. Earlier on Monday, media reported that the FBI is warning that armed protests are being planned in all 50 US state capitals, including the US Capitol building, in the final days leading up to President-elect Joe Biden’s inauguration on January 20. On January 6, a group of Trump’s loyalists stormed the US Capitol building, clashing with police, damaging property, seizing the inauguration stage and occupying the rotunda. The unrest took place after Trump urged his supporters to protest what he claims is a stolen election. (Bernama)
