Two members of a same family are now allowed to go out to shop for necessities or seek medical services during the Movement Control Order (MCO), according to a new federal gazette.

The new gazette on the Prevention and Control of Infectious Diseases (Measures within infected local areas) (No 4) Regulations 2020, takes effect today and will be in force until the end of the fourth phase of the MCO on May 12.

According to the gazette, however, the two said persons must be living in the same house.

The 10-km radius limit for travel to one's residence still applies. Any travel to a point beyond that will be allowed to a place nearest to the residence, if such food, medicine, dietary supplement, daily necessities or other goods are not available at a place within the 10-km radius.

Those flouting the regulation can be fined RM1,000, jailed up to six months, or both, upon conviction.

The leeway from the government comes following the steady fall in the number of fresh COVID-19 cases in the country, of late.

Yesterday, Malaysia reported just 31 new COVID-19 cases - the lowest number since the MCO was enforced on March 18.

To date, 5,851 have been affected by the disease in the country, and 100 people have died.

Globally, over 3.1 million have been infected by the coronavirus, and more than 218,000 people have been killed by it.


Photo source: Astro Awani