Health director-general Datuk Dr Noor Hisham Abdullah has pointed out that Malaysians returning from overseas have the potential to contribute to the number of imported cases of COVID-19.
He said the Ministry of Health (MOH) initially expected those returning from China, Iran, Italy, Japan and South Korea to be high-risk possibilities, but the situation has become more worrying now after more than 172 countries clamped down on overseas travels.
“Our concern is that of imported cases (where) anyone coming to our country might have the potential to carry the virus.
“I’m worried because if imported cases are not managed well, we (might) get an exponential spike in the number of cases in mid-April because the incubation period is about two weeks. So, this is the concern we have and that’s the reason we implemented this Movement Control Order (MCO).
“We realise that our students are returning from overseas. This is another challenge for us, when we have imported cases.
“(The) First wave (was) related to tourists from China, directly and indirectly. (The) Second wave (is) related to imported cases,” he said during a daily press conference of COVID-19 at the ministry here today.
Dr Noor Hisham also reminded those returning to the country to obey the MCO guidelines set by the government, which includes a 14-day quarantine.
In another development, he said 752 people returning from overseas were being quarantined in selected hotels and, from that number, eight were found to have symptoms of COVID-19./p
“The eight cases are actually positive temperature scan, so we need to isolate them for further investigations in hospitals,” he said.
Asked if it was advisable for Malaysians working in Singapore to be exempted from the stipulated 14-day quarantine upon their return to Malaysia, Dr Noor Hisham said that it was possible based on the agreement between the MOH and its Singapore counterpart.
“(Our) Agreement with our counterpart in Singapore is that Malaysian workers in Singapore wanting to come back have to be tested in Singapore.
“If (they are) tested negative, then we do not need to repeat it, thus MOH will accept the negative test result,” he said.
-- BERNAMA
Bernama
Sat Apr 04 2020
The situation has become more worrying now after more than 172 countries clamped down on overseas travels. - Photo/AFP Relax
Rebat tol 20 peratus untuk pengguna kerap LDP ditamatkan
Amanat Lebuhraya Rakyat Berhad (ALR) akan menamatkan program LITRAK Frequent Travellers Program (LFTP) berkuat kuasa 1 April depan.
Pantau Belanjawan: SMEs, local businesses' Industry 4.0 transformative journey
According to MITI in 2018, less than 21% of SMEs implemented this 4IR. Join Chan Leong, the CEO & Founder of Skribble, exploring the realignments and leverages of the adoption of Industry 4.0 among SMEs and local businesses.
Sindiket jual kad ATM tumpas, 2 pegawai bank antara 16 ditahan
Polis Selangor berjaya menumpaskan sindiket penjualan kad mesin juruwang automatik (ATM) untuk dijadikan keldai akaun dengan penahanan 16 individu termasuk dua pegawai bank.
Pintas Utama serah zakat perniagaan RM3 juta kepada Lembaga Zakat Selangor
Sultan Selangor berkenan mewakili Lembaga Zakat Selangor menerima serahan zakat perniagaan berjumlah RM3 juta.
Ibu didakwa aniaya anak lelaki hingga cedera
Seorang ibu mengaku tidak bersalah di Mahkamah Sesyen di sini hari ini atas pertuduhan menganiaya anak lelakinya berusia sembilan tahun.
Beli kondo mewah: Isa Samad, Mohd Emir diperintah bayar RM3.31 juta kepada FGV
Mahkamah Tinggi memerintahkan bekas Mohd Isa dan bekas Mohd Emir membayar lebih RM3.31 juta kepada syarikat itu berhubung pembelian dua unit kondominium mewah di ibu negara.
AWANI Ringkas: Kandungan mudarat di media sosial meningkat
Ikuti rangkuman berita utama yang menjadi tumpuan sepanjang hari di Astro AWANI menerusi AWANI Ringkas.
Xiaomi lancar kereta elektrik Xiaomi SU7, harga bermula RM141,500
Xiaomi semalam secara rasminya telah melancarkan kereta elektrik mereka yang pertama dinamakan Xiaomi SU7 untuk pasaran China.
X akan tawar ciri premium percuma jika ada lebih 2,500 pengikut disahkan
ELON Musk memaklumkan perubahan pada penawaran ciri-ciri X kepada semua akaun.
'Tulisan jawi tiada kaitan Jelajah Perikatan Nasional' - MUDA Kelantan
MUDA Kelantan menegaskan tulisan jawi tertera pada sepanduknya adalah logo rasmi baharu cawangan itu, dan tiada kaitan dengan program Jelajah Perikatan Nasional (PN).
COVID-19: Tiga kes kematian dicatat, ini lima tumpuan kenyataan media KKM
Terdapat 108 kes positif COVID-19 yang sedang dirawat di Unit Rawatan Rapi (ICU), di mana 47 kes memerlukan bantuan pernafasan.
Sultan Perak, Sultan Selangor, Sultan Johor antara yang hadir ke Istana Negara
Pertemuan itu dijangka bagi membincangkan beberapa cadangan yang dipersembahkan oleh kerajaan terutamanya mengenai penularan COVID-19.
Pusat Jagaan Darul Hanan ambil langkah pengasingan penghuni, pekerja
Difahamkan seorang wanita warga emas yang baru masuk ke situ minggu lepas disahkan COVID-19 kelmarin.
COVID-19: Tiga lagi sekolah di Perak diarah tutup
Sebanyak tiga sekolah di Perak diarah tutup selama tujuh hari mulai hari ini selepas terdapat jangkitan wabak COVID-19 dalam kalangan pelajar di sekolah berkenaan.
Kluster Penjara Jawi: Seorang lagi pegawai penjara positif COVID-19
Pegawai wadar itu bertugas di blok baharu yang menjaga sekumpulan banduan yang dijangkiti COVID-19 sebelum ini.
SMK Lubuk China dan SK Telok Berembang di Melaka diarah tutup
Dua buah sekolah di Masjid Tanah, Melaka diarah tutup selepas seorang pelajar dari kedua-dua sekolah berkenaan disahkan positif COVID-19.
Cawangan utama BSN Kota Kinabalu ditutup, kakitangan positif COVID-19
Cawangan BSN ditutup bermula hari ini bagi melaksanakan kerja-kerja pembersihan menyeluruh.
Jepun tarik balik larangan perjalanan ke Malaysia, 11 negara lain
Sebelas negara lain termasuk China, Taiwan, Australia, New Zealand, Singapura dan Korea Selatan.
Maaflah jika Abah ini mula menggunakan rotan! - Muhyiddin
Katanya, selepas ini hukuman kompaun akan dikenakan tanpa mengira pangkat dan darjat terhadap mereka yang melanggar prosedur operasi standard (SOP) berkaitan COVID-19.
COVID-19: 691 kes baharu dilaporkan, majoriti di Penjara Alor Setar
Jumlah kes baharu positif COVID-19 yang dilaporkan hari ini ialah sebanyak 691.