He had said then that managers of condominium or apartment buildings had the power to bar residents unless they underwent Covid-19 testing – a move that was criticised by opposition MPs and activists.
“I have made it clear there is no policy from the National Security Council that anyone who wants to enter a condominium or any residential area must undergo a swab test first,” he said in a statement today.
“However, the government does not stop the management of condominiums or residential areas from making a ruling that foreign nationals have to get tested in order to maintain the safety of the residents in their area.
“It is all up to the management of these condominiums or residential areas,” he said.
His statement came after reports that the management of several condominiums had made it mandatory for residents to get a Covid-19 test first – a move which legal experts say is unlawful.
Today, Ismail also announced the end of the enhanced movement control order (EMCO) in two localities in Perak and Johor.
Ismail said the EMCO at the Kamunting Correctional Centre’s Gemilang, Harapan, Jaya and Abadi blocks in Taiping, Perak, would come to an end today as scheduled.
The health ministry has confirmed that all detainees housed in the blocks have recovered from Covid-19 and have been discharged, with no new positive cases reported.
He also said the EMCO at the Kejora Juara workers’ hostel in Bukit Pasir in Johor’s Muar district will be lifted today as scheduled.
A total of 1,837 of the 2,258 Covid-19 tests in the locality returned positive, he said.
“The health ministry found that the positive cases there have been warded and isolated, and there are no more samples awaiting results,” he added.
Meanwhile, 413 people were arrested by the police yesterday over movement control order-related offences. A total of 396 were fined while the other 17 were remanded.
Most of the offences, he said, were for travelling between states or districts without permission (101).
The other offences include failing to wear face masks (84), failing to provide materials for contact tracing registration (64), participating in activities which made physical distancing difficult (48) and others.
Meanwhile, a total of 3,011 compliance task force teams were deployed to conduct checks on 17,490 supermarkets, restaurants, hawker stalls, factories, banks, government offices, as well as land, water and air transport terminals.
The authorities also detained 32 undocumented migrants and confiscated two vehicles as part of the ongoing Op Benteng campaign.
On mandatory home quarantine, Ismail said 112,110 people who arrived through KLIA were screened for Covid-19 since July 24 and were placed under quarantine.
A total of 541 tested positive and were sent to hospital for treatment, while 103,872 have been allowed to return home.