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M’sians in Thailand rush home to beat movement control order deadline

BANGKOK: Many Malaysians working or on holiday in Thailand scrambled to book the next flight to Malaysia after a two-week nationwide movement control order from March 18 was announced in the country due to the Covid-19 outbreak.

Many Malaysians rushed to airports early morning to make sure they got back home by today to avoid being slapped with the 14 day self-quarantine under the order.

An employee based in Pattaya, Low Ban Ching, travelled about 150km to Bangkok today just to catch the next flight back to Malaysia.

“I read messages from friends and family members back home about the movement control order.

“I realised I need to be back in Malaysia by today, if not, I have to undergo health checks and self-quarantine for 14 days.

“Luckily, I managed to book a ticket from Bangkok to Kuala Lumpur,” he told Bernama when met at the Suvarnabhumi Airport today.

Meanwhile, a project-based employee who only wanted to be known as Kah Yee, said she decided to fly home as the movement control order created uncertainty for travellers.

“I’m not sure whether there will be another extension after March 31. I made a quick decision to fly home today to beat the deadline,” she said.

Yesterday, Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin had declared that Malaysia would be placed under nationwide movement control order from March 18-31 March due to the Covid-19 outbreak.

Muhyiddin said it also involves a comprehensive restriction on all Malaysians travelling abroad with those returning from overseas required to undergo a health check and to self-quarantine for 14 days.

The restriction also covers the entry of all foreign tourists and visitors into the country and also bars Malaysians from leaving the country.

A businessman, who goes by the name of Thomas, 56, said he decided to bring forward his return ticket to get home before the deadline.

“I want to be home before the order goes into effect … I prefer to go back to Malaysia,” he said.

For Australian couple, Rosemary and David, who will transit in Kuala Lumpur before flying to Sydney said they decided to fly before March 18.

“We read about Malaysia’s movement control orders. We are not sure whether it will affect our flight.

“We do not want to take any risks so we are flying home early,” he said. – Bernama

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https://www.thesundaily.my/local/m-sians-in-thailand-rush-home-to-beat-movement-control-order-deadline-DC2141261

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March 17, 2020
King decrees all Malaysians to obey movement control order

KUALA LUMPUR: Yang di-Pertuan Agong Al-Sultan Abdullah Ri’ayatuddin Al-Mustafa Billah Shah (pix) today decreed all Malaysians to obey the movement control order announced by Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin yesterday and to give full cooperation in containing the spread of Covid-19 infections in the country.

The order will take effect from tomorrow until March 31.

Comptroller of the Royal Household of Istana Negara Datuk Ahmad Fadil Shamsuddin said His Majesty, nevertheless, said that the people should face the situation calmly to help the government and the relevant authorities tackle the situation effectively.

“His Majesty urges the people not to take the movement control lightly. The people were also asked to follow the guidelines and preventive measures issued by the Ministry of Health because this is our mutual responsibility to ensure safety and wellbeing of our families, our communities and our beloved country,” he said in a statement issued by Istana Negara today.

He said Al-Sultan Abdullah also viewed seriously the rising number of positive Covid-19 cases in Malaysia, which was recorded at 553 yesterday and had placed his full trust in the government and the authorities to discharge their duties in containing the spread of the disease.

Ahmad Fadil said His Majesty was well aware that the people might feel that the action taken by the Perikatan Nasional government had made it difficult for them to go about their daily activities.

“However, we must try to understand and be patient because the government cannot wait for the situation to become more critical to take drastic action.

“As the Head of State, His Majesty also called on all Malaysians, regardless of race and religion, to stay united and play their parts to help the government in containing the spread of Covid-19 in the country.

“His Majesty believes that with the strong spirit, concern and cooperation from the people, we will be able to contain the spread of the disease quickly and effectively,” he said.

Ahmad Fadil said Al-Sultan Abdullah also decreed all Malaysians to refer to the Online Health Advisory Service or the National Crisis Preparedness and Response Centre (CPRC) via the Ministry of Health’s website to find the answers to all their doubts and questions so as to prevent the spread of fake news and false information that may cause panic and confusion among themselves.

The Yang di-Pertuan Agong also expressed appreciation and thanks to the government under the leadership of Muhyiddin, government agencies and most of all to the unsung heroes, the medical staff and healthcare personnel, the civil servants and all the others who have sacrificed their time and energy in ensuring that all preventive measures and control of the infectious disease were being implemented efficiently.

“His Majesty also called on all Muslims to join him to pray to Allah SWT so that all our efforts be blessed and so that the COVID-19 situation can be tackled and put to end as soon as possible. InsyaAllah,” he said. – Bernama

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https://www.thesundaily.my/local/king-decrees-all-malaysians-to-obey-movement-control-order-YD2140919

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March 17, 2020
PN govt faces difficult economic situation, says Saifuddin Nasution

PETALING JAYA: The government may face an uphill task trying to recover the country’s economy due to the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic.

Former Domestic Trade and Consumer Affairs Minister Datuk Seri Saifuddin Nasution (pix) pointed out that the previous Pakatan Harapan administration had based the country’s 2020 Budget on the crude oil price of US$62 (RM269) per barrel.

However, he noted that the global virus outbreak has caused oil price to plummet by half to around US$30 (RM130) per barrel.

Saifuddin said this, coupled with the expected tax collection when the budget was announced in October, meant the government’s revenue could be far below than initially predicted.

“Basing on the oil price alone, we could lose about RM10 billion in potential revenue. This does not yet include incomes from the various other sectors.

“Based on my experience being in the Cabinet, I would say that the government’s financial situation now is very complicated,” he told a press conference that was streamed on Facebook today.

Saifuddin was asked to comment if he believed the government has the financial strength to provide RM600 for up to six months to any Malaysian forced to go on unpaid leave due to Covid-19, as announced by Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin.

The PKR secretary-general said the financial assistance would only make up a small portion of the government’s spending, reminding the current Perikatan Nasional (PN) administration that it still has debt commitments.

“If they don’t pay according to schedule, it will affect our country’s position from various ratings agencies.

“We may still be able to take up loans in the future, but then we will have to pay a higher interest rate,” he said.

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https://www.thesundaily.my/local/pn-govt-faces-difficult-economic-situation-says-saifuddin-nasution-BC2141164

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March 17, 2020
Coronavirus: People in the UK must avoid unnecessary social contact

The UK dramatically ramped up its response to slow the spread of the coronavirus outbreak today, with prime minister Boris Johnson calling on the country to stop all non-essential contact with other people

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https://www.newscientist.com/article/2237619-coronavirus-people-in-the-uk-must-avoid-unnecessary-social-contact/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=home

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March 17, 2020
ICC-WHO Joint Statement: An unprecedented private sector call to action to tackle COVID-19
In a coordinated effort to combat the coronavirus COVID-19 pandemic, the International Chamber of Commerce (ICC) and the World Health Organization (WHO) have agreed to work closely to ensure the latest and most reliable information and tailored guidance reaches the global business community.

The COVID-19 pandemic is a global health and societal emergency that requires effective immediate action by governments, individuals and businesses. All businesses have a key role to play in minimising the likelihood of transmission and impact on society. Early, bold and effective action will reduce short- term risks to employees and long-term costs to businesses and the economy.

To aid this collective effort, ICC will regularly send updated advice to its network of over 45 million businesses so that businesses everywhere can take informed and effective action to protect their workers, customers and local communities and contribute to the production and distribution of essential supplies.

ICC will also contribute to enhancing information flows on the coronavirus outbreak by surveying its global private sector network to map the global business response. This will both encourage businesses to adopt appropriate precautionary approaches and generate new data and insights to support national and international government efforts.

As an immediate priority, businesses should be developing or updating, readying or implementing business continuity plans. Business continuity plans should aim to reduce transmission, including by: promoting understanding of the disease, its symptoms and appropriate behavior among employees; setting up a reporting system for any cases and contacts; preparing essentials; limiting travel and physical connectivity; and planning for measures such as teleworking when necessary.

Calls to Action
- ICC strongly endorses WHO’s call on national governments everywhere to adopt a whole-of- government and whole-of-society approach in responding to the COVID-19 pandemic. Reducing the further spread of COVID-19 and mitigating its impact should be a top priority for Heads of State and Government. Political action should be coordinated with actors in the private sector and civil society to maximize reach of messaging and effectiveness.
- Governments should commit to making available all necessary resources to combat COVID-19 with the minimum of delay and to ensure that cross-border medical and other essential goods supply chains are able to function effectively and efficiently
- ICC and the WHO encourage national chambers of commerce to work closely with UN country teams, including WHO country offices where they exist, and to designate mutual focal points to coordinate this collaboration.
- ICC encourages its members to support their country’s national response efforts and to contribute to the global response efforts coordinated by the WHO through www.covid19responsefund.org.
As the pandemic evolves, ICC Secretary General John W.H Denton AO and WHO Director General Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus will continue to coordinate their efforts.

Essential information on the COVID-19 pandemic can be found on the WHO’s dedicated site.

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https://www.who.int/news-room/detail/16-03-2020-icc-who-joint-statement-an-unprecedented-private-sector-call-to-action-to-tackle-covid-19

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March 17, 2020
Nationwide movement restriction measures to begin on Wednesday (Updated)

PETALING JAYA: Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin has declared that Malaysia will be placed under a nationwide movement restriction order from Wednesday (March 18) to March 31, 2020, due to the Covid-19 outbreak.

The order, the first in the country’s history, was announced by the prime minister in a live broadcast over national television tonight.

A total of 315 new positive cases of Covid-19 have been reported over the past two days, bringing the total in Malaysia to 553 cases.

Of this total, 511 have been hospitalised while 42 people have recovered.

Muhyiddin said the nationwide movement restriction order means that all business premises have to be shut down, except for outlets such as supermarkets and grocery stores selling daily essentials.

He said all government and private premises would be closed, except for essential services such as utilities, telecommunications, transport, banking, health, pharmacies, ports, airports, cleaning and food supplies.

He said the movement restriction also means all Malaysians will be banned from travelling abroad, and that no tourists or foreigners will be allowed to enter the country. Those who have just arrived from abroad must undergo self-quarantine for 14 days.

All public and private schools, including kindergartens, nurseries, residential school and other educational institutions are also to close. All private and public higher institutions of learning will also close.

Closure of all government and private premises except essential services such as water and electricity, telecommunication, postal service, transport, fuel, gas, lubrication, broadcasting, banking, health, pharmacy, fire-fighting, ports, airports, prisons, security and defence, sanitary services, provision and food supply.

The order also calls on a ban on all mass gatherings, including religious, sports, social and cultural activities.

The Prime Minister said the measures were taken to protect the rakyat from the spread of the virus but advised Malaysian to not panic and stay calm.

Muhyiddin added that the Ministry of Domestic Trade and Consumer Affairs will ensure that the supply of groceries and health care essentials will be readily available.

He also said that the government will address the situation daily and provided a hotline number – 0388882010- that will answer any queries from the public.

In an immediate response, former health minister Datuk Seri Dr Dzulkefly Ahmad told theSun that the order was the right action made in the right time.

“I am okay with it because it is in line with what I was advocating, I did not implement this earlier because at that time it wasn’t warranted and it wasn’t the right thing to do then,” he said.

Meanwhile, Lawyer Mohamed Haniff Khatri Abdullah said that the provision of Section 11 (5) of the Prevention and Control of Infectious Diseases Act 1988 is read together with Section 24(a) of the same act.

Haniff said this would make any breach to the restriction order a criminal offence.

“The offense under section 11(5) carries a maximum sentence of two years imprisonment. Whereas the second offence under section 24(b) warrants a maximum imprisonment sentence of five years.”

He also urged government officials to give a clear guideline on the extent of which a member of public can be out before it is considered an offense.

“This is to ensure proper and dutiful compliance on the part of public and to allow strict enforcement by the authorities.” he told theSun.

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https://www.thesundaily.my/local/nationwide-movement-restriction-measures-to-begin-on-wednesday-updated-IC2136749

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March 16, 2020
830 more nurses for government hospitals, says Health Minister

KUALA LUMPUR: The Ministry of Health (MOH) will place 830 nurses in government hospitals to tackle the spread of Covid-19 in this country, according to Health Minister Datuk Seri Dr Adham Baba.

He said their appointments on a contract basis was to beef up the manpower capacity at 135 government hospitals across the country in view of the spike in Covid-19 cases since last week.

“They, comprising nurses who have completed their studies at the ministry’s nursing colleges, will serve for two years,“ he said at the daily media conference on Covid-19, here today.

Dr Adham said Malaysia had sufficient medical manpower including more than 60,000 doctors in the public and private sectors.

“We have enough (professional medical practitioners) in every state at this moment but what we need now is (more) infectious disease physicians,“ he added.

Besides that, he said the MOH had 926 medical ventilators including 152 non-invasive ventilators and 142 transport ventilators.

“The ministry is ordering 800 more ventilators to meet the current need,“ he added.

On a related development, Dr Adham said of the attendees at the recent four-day Tabligh Assembly held at Sri Petaling Jamek Mosque, more than 7,000 had come forward for Covid-19 screening.

However, he said, the MOH did not know yet the number of positive cases. – Bernama

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https://www.thesundaily.my/local/830-more-nurses-for-government-hospitals-says-health-minister-DC2136476

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March 16, 2020
Malaysia gets special consideration in Singapore’s new travel restrictions

SINGAPORE: The new border restrictions on travellers including those from Asean do not include Singapore’s sea and land crossings with Malaysia, meaning Malaysians and Singaporeans can commute from both sides as usual.

Singapore’s Co-chair of the Multi-Ministry Taskforce on Covid-19, Lawrence Wong, said while the order applies to the whole of Asean, a separate arrangement has been worked out for Malaysia through the bilateral joint working group.

Special considerations have been put in for Malaysia because of the close proximity and high interdependency between both countries.

“We do need precautions to be taken, given the high volume of people and vehicles moving in and out of these checkpoints,” he said today when announcing the additional measures that Singapore would be taking on the Covid-19 situation starting midnight on Monday.

Effective March 16, 2020, 2359 hours, all travellers entering Singapore with recent travel history to Asean countries, Japan, Switzerland, or the United Kingdom within the last 14 days will be issued with a 14-day Stay-Home Notice (SHN).

Wong, who is also the National Development Minister, said that on land crossing alone 200,000 people move across the checkpoints daily and the imposition of a 14-day SHN requirement would be very difficult and very disruptive for both countries.

“So the 14-day requirement will not be practical for these travellers and we need to look at other precaution like checking their health. So discussions are ongoing between the two sides,” he said.

The latest travel order applies to Singapore residents, long-term pass holders, and short-term visitors as well but not those transiting in Singapore without leaving the transit area.

In addition, they will have to provide proof of the place where they will serve the 14-day SHN, for example a hotel booking covering the entire period, or a place of residence they or their family members own.

They may also be swabbed for testing for Covid-19, even if asymptomatic because of the risk of community transmission in the countries of their origin and evidence of cases that have been imported from these countries into Singapore.

In addition to the SHN requirement, from March 16, 2020, 2359 hours, all short-term visitors who are nationals of any Asean country will have to submit requisite information on their health to the Singapore Overseas Mission in the country they are resident before their intended date of travel.

The submission will have to be approved by Singapore’s Ministry of Health (MOH) before travel to Singapore, and the approval will be verified by the Immigration and Checkpoints Authority (ICA) officers at the Singapore checkpoints.

Short-term visitors who arrive in Singapore without the necessary approval will be denied entry into Singapore and they are therefore advised to secure the approval before making definitive travel bookings. — Bernama

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https://www.thesundaily.my/local/malaysia-gets-special-consideration-in-singapore-s-new-travel-restrictions-BI2129074

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March 15, 2020
Singaporeans should avoid overseas travel, government says

SINGAPORE: Singapore’s health ministry on Sunday urged its citizens to defer all non-essential travel abroad in an unprecedented move for the Asian transport hub, as part of new measures to control the coronavirus that is fast spreading around the world.

Singapore will also tell all entering the country with recent travel history to the Asean group of nations, Japan, Switzerland or the United Kingdom to quarantine themselves at their place of residence for 14 days, the ministry added.

The Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean) comprises Indonesia, Malaysia, Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, Brunei, Laos, Myanmar, Cambodia and Vietnam.

Countries, such as the UK and Switzerland have “abandoned” any attempt at containing the spread of the infection, said Lawrence Wong, a minister who co-heads Singapore’s virus fighting taskforce.

“That’s why we are more concerned that Singapore may well be exposed to a new wave of infections, which is potentially larger than what we have seen previously.”

The majority of new infections being reported in Singapore, an island nation with a population of 5.7 million, over the past few days have been people returning from overseas rather than local transmissions.

At least five cases of Singaporeans have been linked to a large religious gathering in Malaysia that was attended by more than 10,000 people from several countries.

Short-term visitors who are nationals of its Southeast Asian neighbours will also have to seek prior approval from the health ministry before their journey to prevent hospitals from being overwhelmed.

The restriction comes after a number of cases that entered Singapore with the specific purpose of seeking healthcare, the health ministry said. There have been two cases of Indonesians who had coronavirus symptoms at home before arriving in Singapore, known for its superior healthcare facilities.

The measures will be reviewed after a month. They will not apply to sea and land crossings with Malaysia, which will have separate precautions. Wong said 300,000 people a day move across the land checkpoints with Malaysia.

The Asian travel hub has previously announced bans on visitors from several coronavirus-hit countries, including China, Italy and France.

Singapore has won international praise for its painstaking onslaught on the virus since it initially emerged with one of the highest tallies of infections outside China. But other nations have since outpaced it.

Singapore has reported 212 infections, but no fatalities. Globally, more than 150,000 people have been infected while over 5,800 have died, a Reuters tally shows. — Reuters

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https://www.thesundaily.my/world/singaporeans-should-avoid-overseas-travel-government-says-XI2129044

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March 15, 2020
Govt to convene special Covid-19 meeting tomorrow to discuss further measures

JOHOR BARU: The government will convene a special Covid-19 meeting tomorrow to discuss further measures needed to contain infections, following the spike in cases to a total of 428 recorded until noon today, since the beginning of infections in the country.

Health Minister Datuk Seri Dr Adham Baba (pix) said apart from Health Ministry representatives, Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin and representatives of the Defence Ministry are also expected to attend.

“We (Malaysia) have now entered the ‘late containment’ phase”, he said, in view of the 428 cases recorded so far.

He told reporters this after observing the situation at the Customs, Immigration and Quarantine (CIQ) Complex at Bangunan Sultan Iskandar here today. Also present was Johor Health Director Dr Aman Rabu and state Health and Environment Committee chairman R. Vidyananthan.

Adham said initial investigations indicated that most of the latest cases were linked to the ‘tabligh’ rally cluster – the rally had taken place at Masjid Jamek Sri Petaling in Kuala Lumpur, from Feb 27 to March 1.

He said a total of 190 new cases of the coronavirus had been reported until noon today, bringing the total number of cases to 428.

Adham added that the Health Ministry would invoke section 15 (1) of the Prevention and Control of Infectious Diseases Act 1988 to track down and enforce health screening on rally participants who have refused to come forward to health authorities for testing.

“The ministry calls on those who were at the Sri Petaling mosque to contact the nearest District Health Office for further action,“ he said.

The minister added that from Jan 5 until today, a total of 6.8 million people comprising foreigners and Malaysians had undergone health screening at all entry points in Johor, and so far, no positive Covid-19 cases had been detected through the screening.

He also stressed that premises with individuals who have been confirmed to have been infected with Covid-19, should be closed by operators without waiting for instructions from the ministry. — Bernama

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https://www.thesundaily.my/local/govt-to-convene-special-covid-19-meeting-tomorrow-to-discuss-further-measures-XI2129022

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March 15, 2020