Stanley (left) and his men inspect one of the coffee shops in Sibu town centre that have reopened.
SIBU: Police here are teaming up with members of other enforcement bodies to monitor the level of compliance among the local community with the standard operating procedures (SOPs) outlined under the Conditional Movement Control Order (CMCO), which has been extended to June 9 to beef up efforts in preventing further spread of Covid-19.
The SOPs apply to commercial premises in the central business district here that are allowed to operate during the CMCO period.
According to Sibu police chief ACP Stanley Jonathan Ringgit, seven teams comprising the members of police, the armed forces, the marine police and People’s Volunteers Corps (Rela), as well as Sibu Municipal Council (SMC) personnel would be monitoring on the ground every day, with the operations to be conducted in two shifts – 8am to 4pm, and 4pm to midnight.
“We have started this (yesterday’s) morning by making rounds in the town area to monitor SOP compliance during this CMCO.
“We can see that many shops have reopened here,” said Stanley, who was accompanied by SMC deputy chairman Bujang Zainuddin and Sibu Crime Prevention and Community Safety Division head DSP Ariffin Bahar in the rounds yesterday.
Stanley called upon all shopkeepers here to follow the SOP, and on the members of the public to maintain social distancing.
“We will advise them first. Warning would be given to those who disobey the SOP,” he pointed out.