The Ministry of Health (MOH) has started a population census at seven villages at the Enhanced Movement Control Order (EMCO) area of Sungai Lui, near here today.

The seven villages involved in the EMCO census were Kampung Batu 21, Kampung Batu 22, Kampung Batu 23, Kampung Batu 24, Kampung Gemi, Kampung Orang Asli Paya Lebar and Kampung Orang Asli Sungai Gabai.

Kajang district police chief ACP Ahmad Dzaffir Mohd Yussof said the census was aimed at determining the level of health of the residents with symptoms suspected to be COVID-19.

He said any resident who had the symptoms would be directed to undergo a COVID-19 screening

at the Sungai Lui Rural Clinic, near here.

''The census will be assisted by the police who will look after the security of the villages,'' he told reporters at the Kampung Sungai Lui Multi-Purpose Hall, near here today.

In addition, Ahmad Dzaffir said the census would also be conducted on seven other villages in the area.

Asked on the number of policemen involved in manning the EMCO area, he said the implementation of EMCO, which had entered its fourth day, involved eight officers and 53 policemen.

Commenting further on the directive to comply with the EMCO in the area, Ahmad Dzaffir said, to date, all the 3,900 residents were complying with the EMCO and co-operating with the authorities.

.''We find there is no activity taking place within a five-kilometre radius of the area. The police also patrol the area every hour to ensure the EMCO is complied with,'' he said.

Prior to this, Bernama reported that the government enforced the EMCO from the 21st Mile until the 24th Mile Sungai Lui, Hulu Langat, Selangor involving seven villages, namely, two Orang Asli villages and five Malay villages.

Senior minister (Security cluster) Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob said the EMCO was enforced effective at midnight March 30 until April 13 following the high cases of COVID-19, namely, involving 71 of the 274 Maahad Tahfiz AnNabawiyyah students at the 23rd Mile Sungai Lui, Hulu Langat.

-- BERNAMA