PUTRAJAYA, April 4 — There are 446 quarantine centres nationwide with the capacity to place up to over 19,000 patients presently, in an effort to curb the spread of Covid-19.
Health director-general Datuk Dr Noor Hisham Abdullah said these facilities are sufficient to house Malaysians who are returning from abroad as well as individuals entering the country.
"Prior to this, we were able to accommodate over 4,000 individuals including 2,100 tabligh congregants who are currently being quarantined for 14-days," he told the daily media conference on Covid-19 here yesterday.
Senior Minister (Security Cluster) Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob yesterday said Malaysians returning from overseas and any individuals entering the country are required to undergo compulsory quarantine starting yesterday.
It involved all land, air and sea routes at all border checkpoints including Sabah and Sarawak.
Commenting on the standard operating procedure (SOP) at the quarantine centres, Dr Noor Hisham explained that each person will be placed in their respective rooms and are not allowed to interact with each other when they are in the centres.
"They should not mix with anyone else. They have their own rooms and food will be sent to their individual rooms. If they show symptoms, then we will take a swab and conduct an examination. If it's positive, they will be sent straight to the hospital," he said.
Dr Noor Hisham said Sabahans and Sarawakians who are in transit, can continue their journey to their respective states to be quarantined there.
"They have a choice… to go back and quarantine there for 14 days. Otherwise, the quarantine is for 28 days (14 days in Peninsula and another 14 days in Sabah or Sarawak)," he added.
— Bernama
