Nadma to help those released from quarantine return to home states

The National Disaster Management Agency (Nadma) will assist those just released from Covid-19 mandatory quarantine to return home to various states, said Defence Minister Ismail Sabri Yaakob.

He said Nadma will step in to help those who have to cross states during the movement control order (MCO) period in order to return to their homes.

"As of April 18, around 2,182 individuals have finished their 14-day mandatory quarantine and are allowed to go home.

"However, when they are allowed to go home, their homes may be far from the quarantine centres and they need to cross states.

"Perhaps if they were quarantined in Kuala Lumpur and (after being released from quarantine) they need to return to Pahang.

"To streamline the process of returning to their villages and homes, Nadma will arrange their returning home," he told a press conference in Putrajaya which was live-streamed this afternoon.

In regards to foreigners who have just been released from mandatory quarantine in Malaysia, Ismail said the Foreign Ministry will discuss with the respective foreign embassies in Kuala Lumpur to ensure their welfare are safeguarded.

“There are foreign nationals who have just ended their time under mandatory quarantine in our country.

“However, their countries may have closed entry into these countries, with no flights there, so they could not fly back to their countries.

“In a meeting today, we decided that the Foreign Ministry will need to discuss with the respective embassies in Kuala Lumpur to ensure their people’s welfare are taken care of,” he said.

Ismail also welcomed efforts by any country to bring home their nationals stranded in Malaysia just like the way Malaysia tries to arrange for the return of Malaysians stranded overseas due to restrictions imposed by countries to curb Covid-19.

He welcomed these countries to discuss with the Foreign Ministry on any proposed efforts to bring home their citizens stranded in Malaysia following the imposition of the movement control order (MCO).

Ismail added that the Foreign Ministry is now looking into the plight of Malaysian students stranded in Moscow, Russia, with the Malaysian embassy there in communication with the students.

He advised that as the students still have a place to stay, they could continue to do so as the numbers wanting to return to Malaysia may not be big and that some countries have closed entry to flights.

He also advised the students to get in touch with the Foreign Ministry to look into the matter.

Meanwhile, during the press conference, Ismail said that 15,972 individuals are undergoing mandatory quarantine at 191 quarantine centres as of yesterday.

He added that 408 Malaysians returned from overseas yesterday and they are now undergoing mandatory quarantine. - Mkini