MELAKA, Nov 12 — The Melaka Health Department has identified 23 people who were in close contact with a political party machinery officer who tested positive for Covid-19 and all have been ordered to undergo quarantine.

State Health director Dr Rusdi Abd Rahman said the Pahang-born person had been in the state since November 1 to assist his party’s machinery in the Melaka election and an order to close the operations room was issued today as there was a risk of contagion at the location.

"He was tested positive using RTK-Ag at a private clinic on November 9 after experiencing symptoms and is awaiting RT-PCR test results. All close contacts from Pahang who are also staff and housemates (of the individual) have been instructed to take the same test and undergo quarantine starting yesterday.

"Investigations also found that apart from only being in a rented house that acts as a ‘call centre’, the Covid-positive officer also visited the political party’s operations room in Alai,” he said in a statement here today.

Rusdi said a RM10,000 compound was also imposed on the political party under the Prevention and Control of Infectious Diseases (Measures within the Infected Local Areas) Regulations (National Recovery Plan) 2021 for failing to comply with the standard operating procedures (SOPs).

He said this was due to violations of no temperature checks being carried out, no attendance record book provided and failing to submit the RTK-Ag self-test screening record every two days for election workers.

"Further investigations are also underway to identify close contacts and social contacts and once the disinfection process is completed and all non-compliances are corrected, the relevant parties can make an application to the District Health Office for risk assessment to reopen the operations room.

"The spread of infection on a bigger scale can occur if Covid-19 positive patients are exposed to the community and cause new clusters. Therefore, the Health Department takes this matter seriously and the election machinery of all political parties and the public are advised to always adhere to SOPs,” he said. — Bernama