COVID-19 patients in Melaka to be sent to MAEPS - CM

ALOR GAJAH: COVID-19 patients in Melaka will be sent to the Low-Risk Treatment and Quarantine Centre (PKRC) at the Malaysia Agro Exposition Park Serdang (MAEPS), Selangor from now on.

Melaka Chief Minister, Datuk Seri Sulaiman Md Ali said this was due to Melaka Hospital, being the only quarantine centre in the state, no longer able to cope with the increasing number of COVID-19 positive cases.

"Melaka Hospital can accommodate over 200 beds only but the number of cases increased to 70 two days ago (Friday) and to 50 yesterday, (for example), so surely the hospital could not cope wth the bigger number of positive cases."

He said this when met by reporters after handing out state government aid to 530 primary school children for the 2021 academic session, here, today.

Sulaiman said, previously, there were two other quarantine centres in the state, namely, the Works Department's Engineering and Technology Centre of Excellence and Road Transport Department's Training Academy but were now functioning as they originally did.

He said the state government also proposed to make a number of hotels in Melaka as quarantine centres as a last resort if still needed.

Melaka recorded a surge in daily COVID-19 positive cases with 50 yesterday and 70 last Friday, bringing the total number in the state to 1,548 since March last year.

-- BERNAMA