Dr M No Plans To Quarantine All Arrivals From China Infected Countries

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CORONAVIRUS | Prime Minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad today said Malaysia will not move to immediately quarantine all arrivals from China or other countries infected with the new coronavirus
Referring to arrivals from China, Mahathir noted that the number of those who come here as tourists can go up to two million
"Tourists from China their numbers at times can go up to two million, (so) where are we going to place them
"Are we going to keep them in cow sheds? We can't do that... (only) those who have the signs, we will quarantine them," he said after attending a Chinese New Year open house jointly hosted by Finance Minister Lim Guan Eng and Klang Chinese Chamber of Commerce and Industry (KCCCI) at the Klang Hokkien Association Hall
He said this when asked for comments on calls to impose a mandatory quarantine period for arrivals from infected countries, as an added precautionary measure beyond the present health screenings at major entry points.Mahathir also said Malaysia will not be sending back tourists from Wuhan, China, as placing suspected cases in quarantine here would be a better way to prevent more infections of the coronavirus
"You can send them back to China, but in the process of sending them back, they will come into contact with other people
"It is better to quarantine them first until they show no sign (of the virus) and then we can send them back," he said at a joint press conference with Lim, Health Minister Dr Dzulkefly Ahmad, and several other Harapan ministers who attended the day's celebration
He said this when asked for comments on a proposal by the government's media advisor A Kadir Jasin, for Malaysia to emulate the Philippines move to deport all tourists from Wuhan, the epicentre of the deadly 2019-nCoV outbreak, which has so far infected almost 2,000 in China
Asked whether Malaysia would consider imposing a travel ban against arrivals from Wuhan, Mahathir said the present focus is on prevention of further infections
"At the moment, it's about prevention and not treatment. And prevention also consists of wearing masks and getting away from people who are suspected of having the disease," he added
In a separate statement, the Malaysian Medical Association (MMA) president Dr N Ganabaskaran urged all healthcare providers to maintain and adhere to the highest standards of infection control to protect themselves while caring for their patients
Aside from doctors, he said the same caution must be taken by all pharmacists, nurses, assistant medical officers, as well as laboratory staff
"MMA also urges the public to only get updates and information concerning the cases in Malaysia, from the statements released by the Health Ministry and other relevant ministries through the media..
"(Do) not share unsubstantiated information that may create unnecessary fear and panic among the people," said Ganabaskaran, adding that advice by the Health Ministry on necessary precautions must also be taken seriously
Restrict the arrivals of Chinese citizensMeanwhile, the government continues to come under scrutiny for failing to review the 15-day visa exemption for tourists from China as the virus spreads globally, and with Malaysia now confirming several positive cases
Ikatan Youth chief Shahir Adnan (above) said the fact the infected individuals were allowed to enter Malaysia despite early warnings from Singapore should serve as a lesson that more drastic measures were needed
“Ikatan Youth urges the government not to politicise the issue for the sake of the safety of Malaysians
“We also urge that government to stop using Visit Malaysia Year 2020 as an excuse not to restrict the arrivals of Chinese citizens
“Logically, no tourists should come to the country exposed to disease as dangerous as coronavirus,” Shahir said in a statement
This after Mahathir said yesterday there was no immediate plan to review the visa policy for Chinese nationals
He had noted that while Chinese tourists would be the biggest segment of tourists visiting Malaysia in conjunction with the Visit Malaysia 2020 campaign, they would likely be restricted from travelling out of their country
China has imposed travel restrictions in and out of the Hubei province in China, including the capital city Wuhan, where the virus is believed to have originated
At the time of writing, over 2,000 people have been infected globally and some 56 people have died in China as a result of the virus. - Mkini

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