Quarantine lifted for Sabah returnees as we’re not enforcing it in other states, says DG

 

Health DG Dr Noor Hisham says quarantine periods could be reduced if there is a valid reason.

PUTRAJAYA: Health director-general Dr Noor Hisham Abdullah today said the decreasing number of Covid-19 cases in Sabah and the fact that people travelling between peninsula states were not required to undergo quarantine had led to the decision to lift the quarantine rule for Sabah returnees.

The health ministry had announced yesterday that the 14-day mandatory quarantine for travellers from Sabah who test negative for Covid-19 will cease with effect from today.

“For other red zones such as Penang, Selangor and KL, we have not conducted screenings for those travelling out from these states, nor did we quarantine them,” Noor Hisham said.

He added that Sabah was showing positive developments with the decrease in the number of cases, while the Klang Valley had now overtaken Sabah with a higher number of red zones.

For those still serving their mandatory quarantine after arriving from Sabah, Noor Hisham said the ministry could consider ending their quarantine early, that is before the 14-day period was completed, provided they had a valid reason.

“We can consider reducing the quarantine period to 12 or 13 days. In such a case, instead of having the test conducted on the 13th day (of quarantine), we can bring it forward to the 11th or 12th day,” he said.

According to the DG, this could be done under Section 15(1) of the Prevention and Control of Infectious Diseases Act 1998 (Act 342), after conducting a health assessment on the individual.

He said examples of these were students who had to sit for an important exam, or individuals who had to attend their akad nikah (marriage solemnisation).

The same may have applied to Sabah deputy chief minister Jeffrey Kitingan, after it was revealed in the Dewan Rakyat yesterday that he had been given a release order by the health ministry and had his pink wristband cut by the Lembah Pantai district health office, after being quarantined for 12 days, from Nov 12 to Nov 23.

With regard to the Teratai cluster in Selangor, Noor Hisham said that the cluster was still contained among factory workers and their close contacts, with 71 of the workers’ family members having tested positive.

He said the health ministry had not detected any cases that were beyond the area and from among the community. - FMT