COVID-19: Primary pupils to undergo weekly screening starting Monday - Khairy

PUTRAJAYA: Primary school pupils will be required to undergo weekly COVID-19 screenings beginning Monday (Nov 29), said Health Minister Khairy Jamaluddin.

He said the move was part of the National COVID-19 Testing Strategy (NTS) that required primary pupils to undergo screening as they are not eligible to receive the COVID-19 vaccine due to their age.

It was also aimed at preventing the emergence of COVID-19 clusters in schools, he said.

"Tests should be implemented on at least 10 per cent of the sample (students) of the school population by rotation, on a different sample each week and should be carried out regardless of whether the pupils have symptoms or not," he said in a press conference on the development of COVID-19 here today.

The NTS document can be accessed at https://covid-19.moh.gov.my/reopeningsafely/nts.

According to the document, screenings should be done using the self-test RTK-Antigen kits with monitoring from the school.

On the Sinovac COVID-19 vaccine, Khairy said Health Ministry and Domestic Trade and Consumer Affairs Ministry will set the ceiling price, which would be announced next week.

-- BERNAMA