7 000 Sarawak Students To Go Home From May 1

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The affected students will be divided into four zones and sent home through various airports.KUCHING: Some 7,000 Sarawak students in Peninsular Malaysia who have been stranded since the movement control order came into force on March 18 will be brought home in stages starting May 1, said Senior Minister (Infrastructure Cluster) Fadillah Yusof today
Works Minister Fadillah Yusof.He said the government is currently collecting detailed information on each student from the higher education ministry, education ministry, matriculation colleges, teacher training institutes and Mara colleges
“The information is necessary to identify where they are studying and living and (the destination in Sarawak) they are returning to,” he told the media after a special Covid-19 meeting with Health Minister Dr Adham Baba here
He explained that the students will be divided into four zones, according to their present locations
Those in the east coast (Terengganu and Kelantan) will set on their journey via Terengganu; the central zone (Pahang, parts of Perak, Selangor, Negeri Sembilan and Melaka) via KLIA; the southern zone via Johor Bahru; and the northern zone (Perlis, Kedah, Penang and parts of Perak) via Penang
Upon arrival in Kuching, Sibu, Bintulu and Miri, the students will have to undergo a 14-day quarantine, Fadillah said
“I want the parents and students to note that they will not be sent home straight away. Instead, they will be sent to quarantine centres to be screened once they arrive
“Samples will be taken and tested. They will be quarantined while waiting for results. If the result is negative, then they will be sent home, or probably they will be tested and made to undergo home quarantine,” he said
Fadillah said it is important for students returning to Covid-19 green zone areas, such as Kapit, to be completely free from the virus so as not to spread it to others
“This is necessary to safeguard the children, families and communities in the green zone areas from the virus. This is what the Sarawak government hopes to achieve,” he said. - FMT

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