Sabah Health Dept: Mandatory quarantine stays despite public criticism

By Olivia Miwil - May 19, 2020 @ 8:58am

KOTA KINABALU: Sabah Health department (JKNS) said it will continue to implement a 14-day mandatory quarantine at gazetted centres for all returnees despite criticism.

Its director Datuk Dr Christina Rundi said some students, parents and the public have been questioning the department's reasoning in implementing the standard operating of procedure (SOP).

Early this month, frontliners of the state health authorities faced criticism from the public for insisting similar SOP on university students returning to the state.

However, the state government then allowed more than 11,000 students to be home-quarantined provided they have no symptoms.

"However, 10 positive cases were found on May 11 among those who returned to Sabah.

"Out of this, two are university students while the rest are working in the peninsular Malaysia," she said in a statement, adding there were 331 Covid-19 cases recorded in the state as of yesterday.

Dr Christina said the move was important because the majority of those told to undergo home quarantine had defied the order, including those tested positive for Covid-19.

Meanwhile, as for the conditions at quarantine centres, she said relevant authorities would take note of the complaints highlighted on the social media.

"Covid-19 is an unprecedented event and thus available facilities that are used as quarantine centres should not be compared to our own houses or hotels.

"Most of the quarantine centres are school hostels, quarters for training teachers and government rest houses or even someone's former residence."

Since April 29, 7,482 including 4,098 students had arrived at Kota Kinabalu International Airport here.

However, starting yesterday, Sabah government has postponed incoming flights for 6,796 students due to insufficient quarantine centres.