KOTA BHARU, Feb 6 — Kelantan Police are tracking down an Orang Asli couple who bolted during a Covid-19 screening test at the Sultan Ismail Petra Hospital (HSIP) Kuala Krai on Thursday.

Kelantan Police chief Datuk Shafien Mamat said the screening test should have been done on a 33-year-old woman and her husband after their 25-day-old baby girl had tested positive for Covid-19.

He said a report was received from a nurse at HSIP at 9.30 pm on Thursday after discovering that the couple was not in the hospital when it was their turn to be screened.

"The complainant was told by the staff working in the emergency ward that the mother of the Covid-19 patient, who was being treated at the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU), had disappeared.

"The hospital also searched for the couple, whose address is at Pos Tohoi, Gua Musang, in the hospital premises but failed to locate them,” he told reporters after monitoring the compliance of the standard operating procedures (SOP) among traders and visitors at Pasar Besar Siti Khadijah here today.

Police believe that the couple might be afraid to undergo the Covid-19 screening test.

He said police have classified the case under Section 22 (b) of the Prevention and Control of Infectious Diseases Act 1988 and Section 270 of the Penal Code (for offences related to infectious diseases that are dangerous to life).

"Following this incident, Kelantan police have mobilised all their multi-purpose vehicle (MPV) personnel, members of the Kuala Krai Police Station, detectives and task force to track down the couple,” he said.

On his visit to Pasar Besar Siti Khadijah, Shafien described the level of SOP compliance among the traders and visitors as satisfactory, adding that "in fact, the traders also always reminded visitors to observe physical distancing”.

"Starting today, police will monitor 46 supermarkets and daily markets in 10 districts in the state and we will immediately compound those who flout the SOP.

"The current phase is no longer about educating. Police or other agencies will continue to issue compounds if they fail to comply with the SOP,” he said, adding that since the Movement Control Order (MCO) was implemented in March last year, almost 3,000 compounds had been issued by police and other agencies in Kelantan. — Bernama