Ismail: Employers can do periodic Covid-19 testing but at own cost

There are no changes in the current procedures on payment for mandatory Covid-19 testing imposed on all foreign workers from the construction and security sectors in the Federal Territories and Selangor, according to Defence Minister Ismail Sabri Yaakob.

Ismail reiterated that the cost of mandatory testing will be borne by the Social Security Organisation (Socso) or individual employers but employers are free to pay for further periodic testing if they see a need to do so.

"If they feel one test is not enough, up to them how many times they want to do it because the impact of Covid-19 positive cases on their workers will affect their businesses.

"If they feel the need to test two times or three times […] the standard operating procedure remains the same," said Ismail during the daily National Security Council Covid-19 update press conference in Putrajaya today.

All local and migrant workers who contributed to Socso's funds will be covered under the free Prihatin Screening Programme (PSP) while the remaining workers must be covered by their respective employers.

He was responding to the Malaysian Trades Union Congress' call earlier today for the government to clarify procedures surrounding Socso's Covid-19 testing process.

MTUC secretary-general J Solomon argued that the current one-time mandatory test will not be enough to protect workers who could be periodically exposed to Covid-19.

Solomon said this is especially since Health Ministry director-general Dr Noor Hisham Abdullah said that workers can still be infected with Covid-19 beyond a certain time frame, after undergoing tests, if they are exposed to the virus.

In the event that periodic tests are required, Solomon reiterated MTUC's objection to Socso's funds being used for any Covid-19 testing procedures.  - Mkini