Medan 88 residents must come forward for COVID-19 screening - Health DG

PUTRAJAYA: The Health Ministry is urging the residents of Medan 88 Bandar Baru Salak Tinggi, Sepang who didn't return home after the Enhanced Movement Control Order (EMCO) was enforced in the area, to come forward to undergo the COVID-19 screening test.

Health director-general Tan Sri Dr Noor Hisham Abdullah said the screening was vital to ensure they are free from COVID-19.

"The COVID-19 screening test is free. If they do it outside, they have to pay RM300. So, we urged them to come forward and do the screening," he said in his daily press conference on the development of COVID-19 here today.

Dr Noor Hisham said the ministry believed that most of the residents who fled from Medan 88 were illegal immigrants.

"...because they're afraid they would be taken to the Immigration Detention Depot after the screening," he said, adding that the authorities were on the lookout for those who fled from the area.

It was reported earlier that about 400 residents of Medan 88 didn't return home after receiving information that barbed wires would be installed around the area for the implementation of the EMCO.

Senior Minister (Security Cluster) Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob in a press conference said the police were in the midst of tracking them down.

Asked on the criteria for closing down an area, Dr Noor Hisham said when a locality has been identified, the ministry would carry out a risk assessment and if necessary, the administrative Targeted EMCO would be enforced in the area.

"If there were a lot of cases (of COVID-19 infection), we will advise for the enforcement of TEMCO and sanitation works will be carried out at the location," he said.

-- BERNAMA