Malaysians who want to return to the country must register on the website of the National Disaster Management Agency (NADMA), Senior Minister (Security Cluster) Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob.

He said this following public complaints of the delay in registering at the quarantine stations either at the hotels or public training institutes (ILA).

“To facilitate the registration process, people who want to return to the country are encouraged to provide NADMA with details of their dates of travel as well as time of arrival and the choice of quarantine station, whether hotel or ILA.

“NADMA will develop the portal for the information process and quarantine station soon,” he said at the press conference on the development of the Recovery Movement Control Order at the Parliament Building here today.

Ismail Sabri also said the government has allowed individuals who are quarantined at the quarantine stations to order food from outside through online delivery.

However, he said, they must sign a letter of undertaking and take responsibility in the event of food poisoning or other mishaps.

Ismail Sabri said the improvements were to avoid any delay in the process of admitting the individuals returning to the country into the quarantine rooms in the hotels when there are several groups coming back from overseas at the same time.

In the case of individuals who want to upgrade their hotel rooms, Ismail Sabri said they are allowed to do so, on condition that they bear the full costs.

Meanwhile, commenting on the worry of the public about quarantine hotels located in shopping centres, Ismail Sabri said they need not worry about that.

“The public should not worry. They (people undergoing quarantine) go into the hotels, they are not allowed out. In fact, they are safer than people on the outside because they have taken the swab test. Even if they are negative, they still have to be quarantined up to 14 days,” he said.

Ismail Sabri said from July 24 until Aug 17, a total of 12,646 individuals returned to the country through the international gates and all have been placed in 63 hotels and five ILAs throughout the country.

He said of this total, 43 were taken to hospital for treatment after they were found positive for COVID-19 while 5,216 individuals were discharged and allowed to go home.

“Health Ministry officials and members of the police force (PDRM) conducted 481 surprise checks to ensure those undergoing home quarantine observed the standard operating procedure, and from the checks, action was taken against four people,” he said.

-- BERNAMA