Cop with Covid-19 dies in home quarantine - report

A police sergeant has reportedly succumbed to Covid-19 while still undergoing home quarantine, according to a report.

The Star reported today that the 53-year-old had undergone Covid-19 tests on Jan 22 and Jan 23 after developing a fever, and the result for both tests was positive.

The South Klang police district headquarters was then alerted to the death by the Tengku Ampuan Rahimah Hospital ambulance call centre on Jan 27 at around 8.29pm.

“He was supposed to undergo home quarantine in Klang from Jan 22 to Feb 1 but was pronounced dead at his home on Jan 27,” the district police chief Shamsul Amar Ramli was quoted as saying.

The cause of death was determined to be due to Covid-19, and the deceased was laid to rest at the Sungai Sireh Muslim cemetery in Klang this evening.

Shamsul Amar said the deceased was assigned to the South Klang police escort unit and leaves behind a wife and five children.

Thus far, a Covid-19 death matching the sergeant’s description has yet to be announced in the Health Ministry’s daily Covid-19 updates.

However, Malaysiakini had observed a delay of several days between the occurrence of a publicly known death, and when a death matching the deceased’s description is announced by the Health Ministry.

The ministry has a policy of not identifying Covid-19 patients to preserve patient privacy.

Malaysia had previously held all Covid-19 patients in hospitals and touted this as a factor in controlling the spread of the disease and maintain a low fatality rate.

As the number of cases increased, however, Covid-19 patients with milder symptoms were delegated to centralised quarantine facilities, and later ordered to undergo home quarantine instead when the number of cases continued to rise and overloaded the healthcare system. - Mkini