COVID-19: Only 34 pct foreign workers in Terengganu screened - Socso

KUALA TERENGGANU: Only 34 per cent or 2,455 foreign workers in Terengganu have undergone COVID-19 screening test to date, said Terengganu Social Security Organisation (Socso) director Farihah Che Husin.

She said the other 4,868 foreign workers have yet to undergo the screening test.

“There are a total of 7,323 foreign workers currently working under 477 employers in various sectors throughout the state such as agriculture, forestry, fishery and plantation. We hope employers can immediately screen their workers before Feb 28,” she told Bernama here.

Recently, Human Resource Minister Datuk Seri M. Saravanan reportedly said that employers who failed to conduct screening tests for their foreign workers by Feb 28 could result in their workers’ temporary work visit passes not being renewed.

Meanwhile, Farihah said under the COVID-19 Screening Programme for Foreign Workers, Socso has appointed 10 panel clinics to carry out the screening tests, namely six in Kuala Terengganu, two in Kuala Nerus and one each in Kemaman and Dungun.

She said Socso has also formed a task force with the Labour Department and Occupational Safety and Health Department as a proactive measure to ensure employers conduct screening tests for their foreign workers.

The task force would also cooperate with other relevant agencies to conduct spot checks on foreign workers’ residences to ensure both employers and employees comply with the standard operating procedures, she added.

-- BERNAMA