KUALA LUMPUR:Top Glove Corporation Bhd (Top Glove) has been instructed to conduct COVID-19 screenings on 2,263 of its employees living outside the designated Enhanced Movement Control Order (EMCO) area, as well as to undergo quarantine for 14 days.

Senior Minister (Security Cluster) Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob said the move was to prevent the spread of the pandemic in community areas.

“Prior to this, they had dormitories for male and female workers and houses rented in areas which have been imposed with the EMCO, but many workers also live elsewhere. So we have instructed the company to screen these employees and quarantine them.

"Residents in the surrounding areas do not have to worry because Top Glove workers are screened and placed in quarantine centres," he said during his daily press conference on COVID-19 here.

Ismail Sabri said all Top Glove employees who tested positive for COVID-19 were sent to the hospital while those negative were quarantined at the Gold Coast Hotel in Klang Sentral, and the stadium in Pandamaran.

Meanwhile, Ismail Sabri said a task force had been set up to coordinate the work process involving the screening, quarantine and closure of Top Glove factories, which comprised the state-level National Security Council (MKN), Selangor State Health Department, Klang District Office, Klang Municipal Council and Klang District Police headquarters.

“The government, in particular the Ministry of Health and the special task force formed will continuously monitor and evaluate the situation from time to time.

"The government has also ordered the company's 28 factories to be closed in stages to allow workers to undergo screening tests and quarantine processes and until yesterday, 20 factories were closed, seven factories were closed today, and another factory will follow (to be closed)," he said.

He said as of Nov 24, 5,795 out of 11,215 employees had been screened, with 2,684 positive cases detected in the EMCO area.

"Yesterday, the cumulative number of cases nationwide was 2,188, and of that number, 1,623 cases were recorded in Selangor, with 1,511 COVID-19 positive cases from the cluster involving Top Glove factories,” he said.

-- BERNAMA