COVID-19 screening: Refer to hospitals, clinics listed, don't be duped - Health DG

Health director-general Datuk Dr Noor Hisham Abdullah said to date, over 50 private hospitals and clinics nationwide, have been given the approval to conduct the screening.

"We urge the public to refer the MOH CPRC (Crisis Preparedness and Response Centre) portal," he said at the COVID-19 daily media conference here today.

Dr Noor Hisham also called on the public to immediately report to the authorities and MOH if they were aware of fraudulent activities and the issuing of fake COVID-19 screening documents.

He said such activities were in violation of the Prevention and Control of Infectious Diseases Act 1988 (Act 342) and stern action could be taken.

Yesterday it was reported that police arrested five Bangladeshi men after they were suspected to be involved in the syndication of fake COVID-19 screening documents involving foreigners, in a raid at Jalan Tengkat Tong Shin on June 9.

On the Pakistani barber found to be a COVID-19 positive case yesterday, Dr Noor Hisham said, so far the case has not been classified as a cluster as only one person was confirmed to be positive.

He said the appropriate follow-up action had been taken by running tests on close contacts and the people he had attended to.

"The case (barber) has already been isolated and admitted to the hospital while the close contacts have been identified and told to self-quarantine at home. So, action has been taken and investigations are underway," he said.

Asked about the Xinfadi wholesale market in Beijing which was ordered to close after 45 traders were found positive and the virus was detected on chopping boards used to handle salmon, Dr Noor Hisham said the issue of cleanliness cannot be compromised.

"Cross contamination is likely to occur when a chopping board is no cleaned. We need to remind everyone to maintain cleanliness and basic hygiene," he said.

"We have learned the importance of cleanliness and good hygiene in curbing the spread of the virus," he added.

He said though it seemed that we have succeeded in curbing COVID-19 transmission, the virus is still lurking in the community and as such it was important for everyone to take a serious approach in maintaining cleanliness as the new norm.

In another development, Dr Noor Hisham said so far, there had been no increase in COVID-19 positive cases among MOH frontliners.

A total of 416 MOH health workers were confirmed to have been infected, but 80 per cent of the cases were found to have contracted the virus from the community or their colleagues, not in the wards while at work, he added.