PETALING JAYA: Sandakan will be placed under the movement control order (MCO) from April 17-30 after a spike in Covid-19 cases in the district, says Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob.

The Senior Minister (Security) said that a cumulative of 6,806 cases have been reported in the district, with 78 cases reported in the last 14 days.

He said that after a risk assessment of the situation, the government decided to place Sandakan in Sabah under the MCO.

"The MCO is to keep the infection rates controlled and to ensure it doesn't spread to other places in the district or outside the district," he said in a statement on Thursday (April 15).

Ismail also said that the MCO in Tawau that was supposed to end on Thursday would be extended until April 30.

He said the number of cases had risen from 124 to 729 in the last 14 days, with the Health Ministry reporting that 11 localities in the district were under the enhanced MCO.