50,000 South Korean rapid test kits to arrive Friday

The health ministry is already carrying out mass screening, but at a targeted level in certain locations and only among high-risk groups.

PUTRAJAYA: The first batch of 50,000 Covid-19 rapid test kits from South Korea will arrive on Friday and will be sent to East Malaysia, the health ministry revealed today.

“We will prioritise Sabah and Sarawak,” health director-general Dr Noor Hisham Abdullah said at his daily briefing this evening.

There was a logistical need for these two states to be prioritised, he added.

He said these test kits provided a quicker turnaround in terms of results and allowed for “point of care testing”.

Earlier this month, the health ministry said it would start using antigen rapid test kits from South Korea, which were proven to have high accuracy.

Noor Hisham said the second batch of 100,000 will arrive on Saturday.

“So, by next week we will distribute these test kits and train our staff to use it.”

Noor Hisham also said the ministry will set up two biosafety cabinets at the Kuala Lumpur International Airport to screen passengers in transit.

Biosafety cabinets are an enclosed laboratory workspace.

Noor Hisham said that asymptomatic Covid-19 patients, or those who display mild symptoms, currently warded at the Kuala Lumpur Hospital, will be transferred to the quarantine and treatment centre at the Malaysia Agro Exposition Park Serdang (MAEPS).

Stage four and five patients will be transferred to the Sungai Buloh Hospital.

“This will help free the staff at HKL to focus on treating other patients.”- FMT