Sri Andalas CAC poses 'minimal risk' to local residents – Klang Health Office

The Klang District Health Office has assured the people that the Covid-19 Assessment Centre (CAC) at Taman Sri Andalas Sports Hall poses minimal risks to the local community.

“The risk of aerosol transmission to Taman Sri Andalas residents is very low because the distance from the hall to the nearest house is more than two metres.

“The risk from patients queuing (outside the hall) to the community is also minimal because the patients are outdoors, where the density of viral particles (in the air) is low due to good ventilation,” it said in a series of posts on Twitter today.

The explanation came after Taman Sri Andalas residents complained about Covid-19 patients queuing outside their doorsteps on the way to the CAC.

Bernama reported yesterday that crowd control at the CAC has since been improved, although the report states that there is still a long queue.

Responding to the complaints, the Klang District Health Office explained that Covid-19 is spread through physical contact, or up to one or two metres through respiratory droplets formed during breathing, talking or coughing.

The risk of airborne transmission, meanwhile, would be increased inside buildings or other enclosed spaces that have poor ventilation.

At a press conference today, Health Ministry director-general Dr Noor Hisham Abdullah reiterated that the Delta variant of Covid-19 spreads more easily than other variants that came before.

“The nature of the virus has changed. Before, we said a 'close contact' is someone who is exposed to a positive case for 15 minutes or came within less than one metre.

“We are informed that with the new variants, the infection can occur just 15 seconds through the air,” he said.

Last month, Australian media highlighted a case of Covid-19 transmission at a Sydney shopping mall. Health authorities reviewing the mall’s CCTV footage found that the two strangers had merely passed each other “for a moment”.

The virus that infected them both was identified as the Delta variant, though it is not mentioned in the reports whether those involved were wearing masks at the time. Masks were not mandatory in Sydney at the time of the incident. -Mkini