KUALA LUMPUR, Dec 9 ― Putrajaya has decided to turn the Malaysia Agro Exposition Park Serdang (MAEPS) into a Covid-19 quarantine and treatment centre with operations starting today.

Senior Minister (Security Cluster) Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri said that MAEPS treatment and quarantine centre 2.0 was hastened due to the surge in Covid-19 cases and screening of foreign workers conducted by Social Security Organisation (Socso).

“The decision to activate PKRC MAEPS 2.0 immediately is due to the sudden increase in Covid-19 cases and the implementation of the foreign workers screening program by the Social Security Organisation (Socso),” the minister said in a press conference.

He added that the treatment and quarantine centre will only receive foreign Covid-19 patients in two categories — Category one (not symptomatic) and Category two (slightly symptomatic).

The minister said that the activation of the quarantine and treatment centre will also trigger the transfer process of foreign Covid-19 patients from the Sungai Buloh Health Ministry Training Institute (ILKKM) and Sungai Buloh Hospital to MAEPS.

Ismail said that previously the quarantine centre only has 614 beds, but currently MAEPS has approximately 10,000 beds ready to be utilised based on three phases — Phase one (3,000), Phase two (3,300) and Phase three (3,700).

He added that based on the high capacity of the quarantine centre that will place foreigners, safety precautions will be enforced by Malaysia Armed Forces (ATM) and the police.

The quarantine centre was previously used back in April 16 until July 15 this year and has treated 1,362 Covid-19 patients, the majority of whom comprised foreigners (86 per cent) as well as locals (14 percent).