The Prevention and Control of Infectious Diseases (Measures within Infected Local Areas) Regulations 2020 that takes effect on April 1 until April 14 stipulates that any travel for reasons allowed is restricted to a 10km-radius from the person’s residence.

According to regulations under subsection 11(2) of the Prevention and Control of Infectious Diseases Act 1988 (Act 342), the individual is not allowed to be accompanied by others, unless there are reasonable grounds.

“The regulations involve the movement control order in which a person is not allowed to travel from one place to another in any infected area or from one infected area to another,” the regulations stated.

A person can only do so for specified reasons, and this includes to purchase food, daily necessities, medicine or dietary supplements; to supply or deliver food, to seek healthcare or medical services or to perform duties linked to essential services.

According to the regulations, if a person travels from one place to another in any infected area or from one infected area to another for the purpose of purchasing food, daily necessities, medicine or dietary supplements, then that person’s travel is restricted to a 10km radius from his residence or a place closest to his residence, without the person being accompanied by others, unless reasonably necessary.

As for healthcare and medical services, the person can be accompanied by others, but travel must also be within a 10km radius of the person’s residence, or to a place closest to the residence.

For the purpose of official duties, an individual must display written permission from his employer if required by enforcement personnel and the same applies to those involved in essential services.

To restrict the movement of those out to buy food, the regulations stipulate that the food outlet owner or the handler, or the person responsible for any food-selling business must only offer drive-through, take-out and delivery services.

It also states that if a person needs to travel from one place to another in any infected area or from one infected area to another for special or specified reasons, then that person would need to obtain prior written permission of the police officer in charge at the nearest police station from his or her residence.

Besides this, the regulations state that during this period, no person shall gather or be involved in any gathering in any premises, regardless if it is for religious, sports, recreational, social or cultural purposes. However, this is allowed for funeral ceremonies on the condition that the number of those attending the ceremony be kept to a minimum.

The regulations also stated that the 10 essential services are food services, water, energy, communications and internet, security and defence, public cleansing and sewerage, healthcare and medical, including dietary supplements, banking and finance, e-commerce and logistics confined to essential services.

Individuals who violate any of the provisions under the regulations, upon conviction, can be fined not more than RM1,000 or jailed not more than six months, or both.

-- BERNAMA