Free masks for everyone and 9 news from yesterday

KINI ROUNDUP | Here are key headlines you may have missed yesterday, in brief.

1. The government will distribute four facemasks to every household soon, totalling 24.62 million masks, but stressed that it should be worn only by people who are sick.

2. Malaysia and Singapore are at odds over how Malaysians returning from the republic should be screened for Covid-19.

3. Defence Minister Ismail Sabri Yaakob has reassured the people that the government has struck a deal with hoteliers to house those placed under quarantine, but each hotel seems to be imposing different rules on what can be delivered to guests and what cannot.

4. Ismail Sabri has told foreign missions to provide meals for the migrants placed under the enhanced movement control order at Selangor Mansion and Malayan Mansion, while Kuala Lumpur Mayor Nor Hisham A Dahlan pledged to provide food immediately.

5. Health Ministry director-general Dr Noor Hisham Abdullah said the ministry is collecting data to propose several ‘options’ for extending the movement control order, if that becomes necessary.

6. The ministry has detected a new Covid-19 subcluster in Rembau that originated from the Sri Petaling religious gathering in late-February, which was worsened by relatives visiting those who have fallen sick in violation of the order.

7. Virologist Tan Cheng Siang said automating Covid-19 testing is the only way to clear the backlog of 8,000 tests that are still pending, because some steps in the testing process are too laborious.

8. Police warned that people who continue to flout the movement control order will be slapped with an RM1,000 compound fine with no opportunity to appeal, in a move to reduce overcrowding in prisons.

9. Sixty-six members of the police force have been tested positive for Covid-19, including Sarawak police chief Aidi Ismail.

10. Lembah Pantai MP Fahmi Fadzil questioned the government for granting an exemption to a Bersatu delegation that allows them to travel across state borders, despite the movement control order being in force.