Health ministry to ask MPs to take Covid-19 test every 2 weeks

 

Health DG Dr Noor Hisham Abdullah said MPs could be exposed to the virus in the next six weeks. (Bernama pic)

PUTRAJAYA: The health ministry has proposed that all MPs and Parliament staff members get tested for Covid-19 every two weeks throughout the six weeks of the Dewan Rakyat sitting.

Health director-general Dr Noor Hisham Abdullah told a press conference today that the ministry was looking at tightening Parliament SOPs after three people who worked in the building had tested positive for Covid-19.

While all those attending Parliament had been tested three days before the session began, Noor Hisham said they could still be exposed to the virus during the next six weeks.

During this time, he urged everyone to abide by the SOPs to avoid the risk of infecting others.

“Everyone attending Parliament must comply with the SOPs, not just in Parliament but also throughout the six weeks when they return to their hotels or when they are in the community, to avoid getting infected. Many infections do not take place in Parliament but outside.”

Noor Hisham added that the health ministry was looking at restricting officers’ attendance in Parliament, suggesting that they could perhaps use video conferencing instead.

The Seridana cluster in Putrajaya, which was identified yesterday, involved an auxiliary policeman at the Parliament building who tested positive and subsequently infected his wife and three other colleagues.

Senator Ras Adiba Mohd Radzi’s special officer and a media worker were also found positive for Covid-19.

The Dewan Rakyat ended its sitting at 1pm instead of 5.30pm yesterday, following the detection of the positive cases. - FMT