KUCHING, May 18: The Health Ministry revealed several students from higher learning institutions have tested positive for Covid-19 after they flouted the compulsory 14-day self-quarantine.
Its director-general Datuk Seri Dr Noor Hisham Abdullah said since April 27, a total of 49,019 students were allowed to return to their individual families in their respective states.
“They were supposed to undergo a 14-day self-quarantine but some of them did not. They later tested positive of Covid-19.
“This is a worrying matter because they pose a risk to elderly people, children and those with a history of chronic disease,” he said during the ministry’s daily media briefing in Putrajaya today.
Dr Noor Hisham explained that students who were allowed to cross state borders within Peninsular Malaysia must undergo self-quarantine once they reach home, while students who returned to Sabah and Sarawak must go through a Covid-19 swab test.
“Those returning to East Malaysian states will be swabbed. Even if their test results are negative, they are still required to undergo compulsory home quarantine,” he pointed out.
Another concern the ministry has involves those attempting to cross state borders to celebrate Hari Raya Aidilfitri with their families in their respective hometowns.
“A total of 2,931 vehicles tried to cross borders in the last three days to return to their ‘kampung’ for the upcoming festival. This is worrying especially when there are many students returning as well,” he said.
Dr Noor Hisham also revealed that as of May 18, out of the total positive cases nationwide, 961 were senior citizens aged 65 and above, while another 318 cases involved children below 12.
“These high risk groups must be protected. We need to remain vigilant, protect and tighten our borders, protect your families and yourself,” he added. — DayakDaily
