He said the decision was taken by Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin.

He said Ramadan bazaars in any form would also be barred throughout the MCO.

“The government listens to the views of the people, NGOs and experts, so we have decided,” he told a press conference today.

Students at institutions of higher learning are also to remain on-campus throughout the MCO.

“The government, through the higher education ministry, will ensure that the welfare and food needs of the students is prioritised,” he said.

“I believe this answers all the questions raised on the issues.”

Previously, the government said optical shops would be allowed to operate under the MCO which was extended until April 28. Hair salons and barbershops were to be allowed to open as well for customers to get haircuts.

But the decision to allow haircuts raised health concerns, even among hair salon and barbershop operators.

On a separate matter, Ismail said nearly 1,500 people were arrested for breaching the MCO yesterday, 949 of whom were slapped with a RM1,000 compound.

Another 503 were remanded while 19 were let off on police bail.

“The arrests keep increasing. This shows the police are not compromising with those breaching the MCO,” he said, adding that to date, a total of 8,647 have been arrested and 3,005 compounds issued.

He also said all People’s Housing Projects in red and orange zones nationwide have been sanitised, involving 37,686 homes.

On the issue of repatriating overseas Malaysians, Ismail said this was subject to the rules of the respective countries where the Malaysians are stranded or residing.

Some countries, he said, have barred flights to prevent the spread of Covid-19.

“If the government is given permission to bring back Malaysians, the costs have to be borne by the individuals involved and the chartered flights will be managed by the transport ministry.”

CLICK HERE FOR THE LATEST DATA ON THE COVID-19 SITUATION IN MALAYSIA

Fake or not? Check our quick fake news buster here.