Overseas Returnees Refusing To Self Quarantine May End Up In Isolation Centres

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CORONAVIRUS | The Health Ministry (MOH) is mulling to impose stricter action against overseas returnees who failed to observe home surveillance, including to have them detained at designated isolation centres.

Health director-general Dr Noor Hisham Abdullah said they have been observing those who just returned from overseas, and found that some had flouted the order to quarantine themselves at home.

"There are cases. We are sure, because we have been monitoring. There are some who have just returned, but still they went out (before the end of the 14-day home surveillance requirement).

"So, we are looking at the actions we can take to make sure they stay at home.

"Or we will take them and put them inside the special quarantine facilities provided by MOH," he told a press conference in Putrajaya today.

Noor Hisham was answering a question on whether the ministry has detected any cases of Malaysians who returned from overseas failing to observe the government's order to self-quarantine at home to prevent the spread of Covid-19.

Earlier, he reiterated the advice to returnees to isolate themselves at home, including from their family members, for at least 14 days upon date of arrival, as well as practice social distancing and hand hygiene, among others.

According to Noor Hisham, the MOH was worried that the second wave of Covid-19 could see a surge in imported cases.

The challenge, he stressed, came from Malaysians who returned to the country from overseas, including those who went out during the school holidays early this month and students studying abroad.

Asked on the number of Malaysians who returned from overseas during the Covid-19 outbreak, Noor Hisham said he was informed that the Immigration Department recorded around 10,000 returnees daily before the enforcement of the MCO on March 18.

"After it was enforced, I was informed by the Immigration Department, the number is around 4,000 a day. These are all Malaysians who returned from overseas," he said
Meanwhile, asked to clarify on his statement last week about a ministry having approved 8,000 of its staff to go overseas during the school holiday early this month, Noor Hisham said he does not intend to reveal the name of the ministry
According to him, the reason he mentioned about the matter was to show MOH's worry about the spread of Covid-19 by overseas returnees
"The intention was not to name the ministry. We know that during the holiday, many of us got tickets from Matta Fair and such, and they went for a holiday to countries like Indonesia, Japan, Korea, and then they came back
"This is our concern, that they (may) bring back Covid-19
"That is why we did all the preparations and implemented the MCO so that when they return, they would stay at home," he said
Last week, Noor Hisham told a press conference that the MOH was expecting the third wave of Covid-19 could be a tsunami caused by imported cases. - Mkini

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