KOTA KINABALU, Feb 7 — Sabah has stepped up its preventive measures against the novel coronavirus outbreak by imposing temperature screening measures for all incoming visitors, both domestic and international.
Health and People's Well-being Minister Datuk Frankie Poon said passengers entering Sabah on domestic flights will be subject to the same screening as those arriving from other countries.
“The relevant temperature screening measures for domestic flights had been implemented yesterday at Kota Kinabalu International Airport. Tawau Airport will implement the measure today while Sandakan Airport is currently mobilizing personnel to perform this task,” he said in a statement here today.
“The suspected cases will be sent for further examination and if they are confirmed cases isolation treatment will be carried out accordingly,” he said.
The Sabah Health Department's front-line officials and medical staff stationed at the airports will also be distributing a "home assessment tool" to international arrivals that will guide them on how to conduct self-assessments.
“The tool promotes ways to maintain personal hygiene and cleanliness and also suggests that people with fever, cough and/ or sore throat who develop symptoms such as breathing difficulties, should seek medical advice from nearby hospitals,” he said.
Poon also said that the Health Department has increased its manpower at airports to cope.
Poon pointed out that Sabah is the third most-populous state in Malaysia, after Selangor and Johor.
“The epidemic in Sabah is currently under control and there are no confirmed cases, but we cannot take it lightly.
“A comprehensive anti-epidemic deployment must be in place to prevent novel coronaviruses from entering our communities. We must be well prepared for the front-line epidemic prevention. Relevant units in Sabah are relatively prepared to stand by at any time to protect the lives and health of our people,” he said.
Malaysia recorded 15 cases of coronavirus so far, which includes four Malaysians and 11 Chinese nationals. Sabah has so far no detected cases of the novel coronavirus.
