KUALA LUMPUR: Inter-district and interstate travel ban will still be enforced nationwide under the Second Phase of the National Recovery Plan.
The country is currently in the First Phase of the National Recovery Plan to take the country out of the health and economic crises due to Covid-19.
During a televised address today, Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin also said more economic activities would be allowed to resume in stages, with an increased workforce capacity of up to 80 per cent allowed at premises at any given time under the Second Phase.
"The country will continue to adopt the positive list approach, which will outline sectors allowed to operate and which ones are to remain closed.
"Nevertheless, more sectors will be allowed to operate during the Second Phase compared to the First Phase (of the National Recovery Plan)," he said.
Among the sectors that will be allowed to operate during the Second Phase, he said, are the manufacturing sector such as the cement industry in order to ensure sustainability in the construction industry.
Other sectors allowed to operate during this phase include certain retail activities such as electronic and computer goods, which are needed to support the people who are still required to work from home during the period.
"Having said that, there are (certain) manufacturing, construction, retail and services sectors that will remain closed during the implementation of the Second Phase of the National Recovery Plan, such as textile manufacturing and furniture shops," he said.
The country will only make a transition into the Third Phase of the plan after the average Covid-19 daily infections drop below 2,000 cases, with the public health system showing improvement to a comfortable stage followed by a drop in the usage of beds at Intensive Care Units (ICU) at health facilities across the nation, and after 40 per cent of the nation's population have been fully vaccinated.
Muhyiddin said according to the projection made by the government, the country could make the transition into the Third Phase of the National Recovery Plan by end of August this year.
"During the implementation of the Third Phase of the plan, all economic sectors except activities that pose high risk of Covid-19 transmission or that involve large gatherings, will be allowed to operate.
"Nevertheless, the economic sectors allowed to operate during this phase can do so with 80 per cent capacity of workforce, similar to that of the Second Phase," said Muhyiddin, adding all manufacturing activities allowed to operate under the Third Phase of the plan are subject to strict compliance of the standard operating procedures (SOP) and capacity.
Among the activities allowed to operate under the Third Phase of the plan are the organising of conventions.
Premises that make physical distancing difficult to implement such as pubs, spas and beauty saloons will remain closed during the period.
"Further ease on the limit in workforce capacity will only be considered in order to allow companies to resume operations, after their workers have been vaccinated," he said.