Dr Noor Hisham: COVID-19 numbers to remain high with mass screening of migrant workers

COVID-19 cases in Malaysia are likely to remain high in the last days of 2020, Health director-general Tan Sri Dr Noor Hisham Abdullah said today.

He attributed this prediction to the government’s latest mandatory COVID-19 screening on all foreign workers.

“The number of positive cases is expected to remain high following the expansion of COVID-19 screenings on foreign employees which will be conducted by the Social Security Organisation in six states,” he told a news conference in Putrajaya.

He listed the six states as Selangor, Penang, Negri Sembilan, Sabah and the Federal Territories of Kuala Lumpur and Labuan.

Because of this, Dr Noor Hisham said the national Crisis Preparedness and Response Centre is reopening its Low-Risk COVID-19 Quarantine and Treatment Centre (PKRC) in Serdang, Selangor.

“This is a precautionary measure to deal with the increase in cases following the expansion of mass screenings among foreign workers and also the increase in cases in Klang Valley,” he said.

He said most of the cases currently detected among foreign workers at factories and construction sites are in category one (non-symptomatic) or category two (having mild symptoms).

“They have been admitted to Low-Risk COVID-19 Quarantine and Treatment Centres (PKRC) as well as hospitals under MoH,” he added.

Located at the Malaysian Agricultural Expo Park Serdang, the PKRC has a maximum capacity of 1,000 beds and will reopen in phases starting today. — Malay Mail

[ IMAGE SOURCE ]

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