COVID: N.Sembilan ready to open new PKRC if cases increase

KUALA PILAH: Negeri Sembilan is ready to open another COVID-19 Low-Risk Quarantine and Treatment Centre (PKRC) if there is a rise in COVID-19 cases in the state.

Negeri Sembilan COVID-19 Immunisation Task Force chairman Datuk Dr Razali Ab Malik said the suitability of several locations for the new PKRC, is currently being studied.

However, he said that the existing two PKRCs in the state, namely in Kuala Pilah and Port Dickson, which their capacity utilisation rate was at 53.6 per cent, were still able to accommodate patients.

"However, based on the current trend of cases recorded in the state, we are ready to open another PKRC if the two existing PKRCs have reached their maximum capacity," he told Bernama at the Kuala Pilah PKRC here.

Yesterday, Negeri Sembilan recorded 397 new COVID-19 cases, bringing the cumulative number of infections in the state to 26,702.

Razali who is also the State secretary said each location must meet several main criteria such as having ample space to accommodate a large number of beds as well as a suitable environment that can provide comfort to patients and staff.

Meanwhile, he said the two PKRCs in the state are being manned by 230 personnel daily, including from the Health Ministry, the Royal Malaysian Police and the Malaysian Civil Defence Force who work in two shifts.

On the plan to open a field hospital in the state, Razali said the matter was still being studied by the State Disaster Management Committee.

In another development, he said a total of 474,746 people in the state had registered for the National COVID-19 Immunisation Programme while a total of 76,023 individuals (8.95 per cent) had received their vaccine shots, as of May 31.

-- BERNAMA