COVID-19: Number of Malaysians infected overseas is low

The government has decided to allow Malaysians returning from overseas to undergo home quarantine beginning tomorrow because of the low rate of COVID-19 infection among returnees, said Health director-general Datuk Dr Noor Hisham Abdullah.

He said only about one per cent or 554 of the more than 50,000 Malaysians who returned from overseas had been detected with the disease.

"When the Ministry of Health (MOH) conducted the first COVID-19 screening test we detected 0.8 per cent (positive) and they were quarantined for 14 days, after which MOH conducted the second test on the 13th day and found only 0.2 per cent was positive.

"With this low rate, MOH is of the opinion that it is best for them to undergo home quarantine and this method is also approved by the World Health Organisation," he told a daily news conference on COVID-19 here yesterday.

He also said the MySejahtera app would help in the monitoring of patients under surveillance as they need to register the address where they are being quarantined.

When asked if the 269 Rohingya who were detained on Monday had undergone COVID-19 screening, Dr Noor Hisham said MOH had conducted health tests and COVID-19 detection on the illegal immigrants and various agencies would take further action.

The Rohingya were arrested for trying to illegally enter Langkawi waters at 5 am Monday. The authorities also found a woman's body on their boat.

-- BERNAMA