MCO: Sarawak allows two immediate family members to travel in a car

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Army and police personnel conducting checks on motorists at a road block along the Kota Samarahan Expressway. – File photo

KUCHING: Sarawak has decided to follow the latest national ruling in allowing two immediate family members to travel in a car in the fourth phase of the Movement Control Order (MCO).

Sarawak Disaster Management Committee (SDMC) chairman Datuk Amar Douglas Uggah said today Sarawak would allow this with immediate effect.

“As of today, Sarawak will abide by this new national ruling.

“We will now allow two immediate members to travel in a car for the purpose of buying food, medicine, daily necessities, dietary supplements or any other goods from any provider of essential services or to seek healthcare and medical services.

“As in the national ruling, it cannot be more than two persons in a car,” said Uggah who is also Deputy Chief Minister in a statement today.

Yesterday, Se­nior Min­is­ter (Se­cu­rity Clus­ter) Datuk Seri Is­mail Sabri Yaakob announced that the fourth phase of the Move­ment Con­trol Or­der (MCO) now allows for two people from the same household to travel together in a vehicle.

Ismail Sabri was quoted as saying the government has decided to relax the previous ‘one person per car’ ruling after getting feedback from the public.

The easing of restrictions during the fourth phase of the MCO is stated in the latest Gazette on the Prevention and Control of Infectious Diseases (Measures within the Infected Local Areas) No 4) Act 1988, which was signed by Health Minister Datuk Seri Dr Ad­ham Baba and published by the government on Tues­day.

Under Section 4(1)(a)(ii) of the updated reg­u­la­tion, it states that anyone moving in an infected area to buy necessities may “be accompanied by one family member staying in the same house”.

Yesterday afternoon, at a media conference in Kota Samarahan, Uggah had said Sarawak has to be extremely careful when making any crucial decision at this very critical time for this can have momentous and far reaching impact in the state.

Sarawak had in the third phase of MCO allowed two persons to travel in a vehicle or motorcycle in rural areas to facilitate farmers harvesting their rice, oil palm or taping rubber.