KUALA LUMPUR, July 26 — A total of 2,897 individuals under compulsory home quarantine have yet to report to their nearest health clinics with the results of their second Covid-19 tests, Heath director-general Datuk Dr Noor Hisham Abdullah said today.
He warned the errant individuals of dire consequences if they ignored the order as the police will be roped in to hunt them down.
“MOH and the police will work closely to find these individuals who haven’t reported to the nearest district clinics with their day-13 Covid-19 tests in hand.
“We will decide on a proper cause of punishment for these 2,897 individuals who have yet to report to get released from their home quarantine,” he said in a statement, underscoring a similar warning from Senior Minister Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob earlier today.
The minister said those who do not obtain their second Covid-19 test at the end of their mandatory home quarantine period will be arrested starting tomorrow and charged in court.
The government was forced to resort to using the law in the wake of growing complacency that drove Malaysia’s Covid-19 cases back into the double digits earlier this month.
Several people who wore the pink wristbands that identify them as under home quarantine for Covid-19 have been spotted dining outside, prompting the government to reimpose mandatory quarantine at centres on all travellers into the country from July 24, including Malaysian returnees.
Dr Noor Hisham reminded those who returned to Malaysia before July 24 to comply with the rules or face punishment under the law.
“Stay at home and avoid contact with your family members or friends, if the one metre social distancing is difficult wear a face mask, use the MySejahtera app to do your own health checks, wear the wristband at all times, do your Covid-19 test on the 13th day at a private or MOH certified clinics and on the 14th day present yourself at the nearest district health centre,” Dr Noor Hisham added.
“By doing so we can then remove the wristband and give your release forms from quarantining at home.”
Malaysia reported 13 new Covid-19 cases with one death today, taking the total death toll to 124.
