Six including media and auxiliary police test positive in Parliament - DG

 

COVID-19 | A total of six positive Covid-19 cases have been detected so far among those working in the Parliament, said Health Ministry director-general Dr Noor Hisham Abdullah.

The six cases include a member of the press, an assistant to a senator, and four auxiliary police officers.

“Today we found out that one auxiliary police officer tested positive and through contact tracing, three of his colleagues and his wife were also found positive.

“One working with the media was also noted (to be) positive. We are screening the family now, seven of them, but the results are not back yet.

“An assistant to a senator was also positive, we have identified 12 (close contacts)… we have quarantined 12 of them,” Noor Hisham said in his press conference at the Health Ministry in Putrajaya today.

All parliamentarians as well as Parliament staff had to undergo screening for Covid-19 three days before the start of the current sitting.

It was reported earlier today that de facto law minister Takiyuddin Hassan had said that “several” Dewan Negara staff members tested positive for the virus as he tabled an emergency motion to shorten today’s Dewan Rakyat session to end at 1pm.

Takiyuddin said they were advised by the Health Ministry that the longer the parliamentarians and their staff are in an enclosed environment, the higher the risk, especially since there have been confirmed positive cases in the area.

Noor Hisham reiterated this point during his press conference, saying that the ministry’s advisory, in general, is to avoid crowded and confined spaces, especially if there is a positive case, as the tendency of infection will be high.

He then urged all those attending Parliament to comply with the standard operating procedures (SOPs) and follow the Health Ministry’s advisory.

Meanwhile, Noor Hisham also revealed that the Health Ministry had mobilised the dental fraternity within the ministry, since early on in the pandemic, to help with conducting swab tests.

This is in order to increase and optimise their manpower so that the staff can work on rotation and take sufficient breaks.

“Although they are dental and not public health, they can assist. This is multi-tasking from one field to another. This is how we help each other in the Health Ministry,” he said.

For example, in the Hentian cluster, he said they mobilised 17 dental officers to help with conducting swab tests in the area. - Mkini