MOH mulls early release for those already under quarantine

 

The Health Ministry is considering allowing those currently under mandatory quarantine to be released after 10 days, instead of 14 days.

"Those who are currently undergoing quarantine, we will consider to quarantine them for only 10 days.

"Maybe there are some logistics issues, we will look into that, but we will also do a test on maybe the eighth or ninth day.

"We can only release them on the 10th day if the results are negative," said Health Ministry director-general Dr Noor Hisham Abdullah in his press conference at the Health Ministry in Putrajaya today.

The Health Ministry announced yesterday that the mandatory quarantine period for travellers entering Malaysia from abroad as well as close contacts of Covid-19 patients would be reduced from 14 to 10 days.

Noor Hisham said this decision was based on clinical data from across the globe, which suggests that the Covid-19 infectivity rate is highest in the first week and reduces over time.

He had said the new policy would take effect starting today.

On a separate matter, he also pointed out that the definition of close contact used by the ministry is based on the World Health Organisation's (WHO) definition.

He was responding to a question about Bukit Gasing assemblyperson Rajiv Rishyakaran who had urged the ministry to redefine Covid-19 close contacts in line with that of the US Center for Disease Control (CDC) to contain the virus better.

Currently, the Health Ministry defined close contact as:

• Healthcare-associated exposure, including those providing direct care for Covid-19 patients, working with infected healthcare workers, visiting patients or staying in the same close environment of a patient.

• Working together in close proximity or sharing the same classroom environment with a patient.

• Travelling together with a patient in any conveyance.

• Living in the same household with a patient.

Rajiv said the CDC defined close contact as "someone who was within six feet (1.8m) of an infected person for a cumulative total of 15 minutes or more over a 24-hour period starting from two days before illness onset (or for asymptomatic patients, two days prior to testing specimen collection) until the time the patient is isolated."

He said the CDC's definition covered a wider range of potentially exposed people.

Noor Hisham stressed today the ministry is in line with the WHO's definition, but that they will review the definition from time to time. - Mkini