KUALA LUMPUR: The Government is monitoring the Covid-19 situation in Kubang Pasu district, Kedah, before taking other further action in the area.
Senior Minister (Security Cluster) Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob said currently, 73 Community Development Department (Kemas)-run kindergartens and day care centres in the district have been ordered to shut down for 14 days as preliminary measures to contain Covid-19.
"We will monitor the situation, although currently only kindergartens are ordered to close, but if there is a spike in cases, the Health Ministry (MoH) will discuss with the National Security Council on the next course of action.
"As of today, to contain the spread of Covid-19, we will focus on kindergartens. But anything can happen," Ismail Sabri told reporters in his daily update on the Movement Control Order here today.
He was responding to a question on whether Kubang Pasu will be placed under an Enhanced Movement Control Order (EMCO).
The Sivagangga cluster involved a restaurant owner who is the index case, one family member and four workers. All of them are living in the same house.
The restaurant owner is a Malaysian permanent resident who returned here from India on July 13.
The patient initially tested negative when he arrived at the Kuala Lumpur International Airport, but he broke home quarantine rules.
Health director-general Datuk Dr Noor Hisham had previously said that action had been taken against the patient, who had tested positive in a second test. The patient had been admitted to the Sultanah Bahiyah Hospital in Alor Star.
Kedah Kemas director Noor Azman Abd Rahman was reported to have said that among the kindergartens closed were those who had people who were close contacts with people in the Sivagangga cluster.
These kindergartens were Tabika Kemas Kampung Natoi, Tabika Pekan Jitra, Tabika Kampung Bemban and Tabika Kampung Tebing.