Ministry responds after new Covid-19 rules lead to crowded airport corridors

 

COVID-19 | The Health Ministry has acknowledged crowding issues at Kuala Lumpur International Airport 1 and 2 (KLIA1 and KLIA2) after new testing rules it began implementing today led to packed corridors.

Passengers arriving from Sabah have complained that they have to queue along crowded corridors for up to three hours before they could receive a Covid-19 test with some expressing concern that they may end up getting infected by the virus in the process. 

Responding to the criticism, the Health Ministry said it was deploying more personnel to facilitate the process. 

"The Health Ministry has stationed more staff at KLIA and KLIA2 to conduct screening on all travellers from Sabah arriving at both the international and domestic gates.

"The new rule comes into force today and they (passengers) will be given a quarantine tag and must undergo a Home Quarantine Order," it said in a statement on Twitter.

 

Under the new rule, everyone arriving from Sabah must undergo a Covid-19 test and a 14-day home quarantine.

The rule was in response to a spike in Covid-19 cases in Sabah, particularly in the East Coast.

Furthermore, the Health Ministry is expecting an influx of people returning from Sabah after the state election concluded yesterday. 

Already, at least 15 new Covid-19 cases today in five states across peninsular Malaysia have been traced to Sabah. 

 

However, the initial implementation of the rule was met with hiccups as people who were stuck at the airport for hours took to social media to complain.

Among them was Umno supreme council leader Mohd Puad Zarkashi.

"Had to wait for hours at KLIA for a swab test. Imagine the journey from Sabah took two hours and 40 minutes.

"But after three hours at the airport, there is still no sign of Health Ministry personnel.

"It turned out that many flights are also facing the same thing," he said.

Puad noted that there were senior citizens and children among them.

"When the waiting area is so narrow how is social distancing possible?" he said, adding that the Health Ministry should think through the procedures before implementation," he added.

Memang hebat Kementerian Kesihatan nih. Terpaksa menunggu berjam jam di KLIA untuk Swab Test. Bayangkan perjalanan dari...

Posted by DrPuad Zarkashi on Sunday, 27 September 2020

 - Mkini