Cops Tracking 69 Who Fled Pulau Gaya Village Ahead Of Emco

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Kampung Pondo is one of four villages in Pulau Gaya that will be placed under the enhanced movement control order from July 8.KOTA KINABALU: Police are tracking down 69 residents of Kampung Pondo in Pulau Gaya who managed to escape before they were to be taken to a quarantine and low-risk treatment centre (PKRC) on the island.
Sabah’s official Covid-19 spokesman Masidi Manjun said these residents fled their homes after hearing news their village would be one of four on the island to be placed under the enhanced movement control order (EMCO) from July 8 to July 21.
The other villages affected are Kampung Kasuapan, Kampung Lok Urai and Kampung Pulau Gaya. Pulau Gaya is about a 10-minute boat ride from Kota Kinabalu.
“The government urges those who fled to escape quarantine and the EMCO to return at once to the village to ensure infections to other communities do not occur,” the local government and housing minister said in his daily Covid-19 statement.
“The police station at Pulau Gaya are actively tracking down these 69 suspects who are believed to have slipped out while being transferred to the quarantine centre (on the island).”
Masidi said action can be taken against them under the prevention and control of diseases law if they fail to return home and are subsequently arrested by the authorities.
He urged the public who had any information pertaining to the whereabouts of these villagers to contact the nearest police station immediately.
Earlier today, Masidi said half of the 70 new infections detected in Kota Kinabalu in the last 24 hours came from Pulau Gaya.
Meanwhile, a sales assistant has been identified as the index case of the Agora Borneo cluster, which is a hypermarket cluster here.
Masidi said the 24-year-old woman who worked at the Bataras Hypermarket at 1Borneo was confirmed positive for the virus at a clinic on June 30, 10 days after experiencing symptoms.
He said subsequent screenings from her close contacts found that 26 out of the 133, including 17 new cases today, were found to be positive.
He added that 50 samples were negative while 50 more are pending results.
“Based on the initial probe, the virus has spread in her workplace and up to second generation infections among her family members,” he said, adding health authorities are still carrying out further contact tracing. - FMT

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