PETALING JAYA: A small number of people continue to put their family’s health at risk by taking children to shopping centres, said Senior Minister (Defence) Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob (pix).
He said there are no rules to prevent parents from taking their children to shopping centres during the conditional movement control order (CMCO) period.
However, they must realise that their children’s health is at risk especially in areas where large crowds gather, he said.
“If the government finds that children’s health is being put at risk during this Covid-19 pandemic, it will consider introducing regulations to prevent parents from taking their children to areas where crowds gather.
“If the problem persists, we can add regulations under Act 342 ( Prevention and Control of Infectious Diseases Act 1988) to include prohibiting parents from taking their children out,” he said today during a briefing on the Covid-19 situation.
Ismail Sabri said parents are responsible for their children’s safety.
He said parents should not use the relaxation in MCO regulations to endanger the lives of their family.
On the issue of new clusters involving foreigners at the workplace, Ismail Sabri said checks have revealed that employers are following the standard operating procedures set by the government.
He said the infection at the Pedas chicken meat processing factory was brought from outside by a clerk who came to collect salary.
Ismail Sabri said the factory, which falls under the essential services sector, had been operating even during phase one of the MCO.
“The Setia Alam cluster was discovered when the employer took workers for Covid-19 tests,” he said.
Ismail Sabri said the government will not hesitate to enforce closure orders if a new cluster is discovered.
He said previously, they would have closed down whole of Setia Alam but now the government is using a new approach.
They will identify the location of a cluster and target that specific area to prevent the spread of the virus, he added.
