IPOH, July 28 ― Perak Mentri Besar Datuk Seri Ahmad Faizal Azumu said the state will seek to revive hotels that shuttered their business during the movement control order (MCO) by using them as Covid-19 quarantine centres.

Ahmad Faizal said that this would help the hotels to start back their businesses after being badly affected by the MCO.

"We have to re-open the quarantine centres as lately there have been a lot of cases where people violated the home quarantine order, which has led to the increase in the Covid-19 infection.

"We will discuss with the hotels on the prices so that the people who can afford can quarantine themselves at the hotels,” he told reporters after launching the state-level "Bulan Kebangsaan and Kibar Jalur Gemilang” campaign at the State Secretariat Building here.

"We have no problem in re-opening the hotels as the quarantine centres. The State Security Council will expedite the process of reopening.

"We have to do it as soon as possible as we already have issues of Person Under Surveillance (PUS), who are under the Home Surveillance Order (HSO), violating the order by dining at restaurants,” he added.

Ahmad Faizal also said that the state was also considering using the government facilities previously gazetted for the quarantine purpose in order to help the people who could not afford to bear the quarantine cost.

Last week an image of a woman wearing a pink quarantine wristband having food at an eatery in Bandar Meru Raya went viral online, drawing criticism.

However, State Health, Science, Environment and Green Technology Committee chairman Ahmad Saidi Mohamad Daud said the Perak Health Department has identified the woman.

The pink wristbands were worn by persons under surveillance who are still under the HSO, and they are required to strictly abide by the order for the safety of the public.

Meanwhile, Senior Minister Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob said all returnees from abroad, both Malaysian citizens and not, are required to undergo mandatory quarantine at centres designated by the government.

Ismail Sabri said those who undergo the mandatory quarantine will have to bear full accommodation costs, be it in hotels or other quarantine centres.