New cluster: Construction site and workers shack ordered to close

The Federal Territory Health Department (JKWP) of Kuala Lumpur and Putrajaya have issued a closure order against a construction site and a workers’ shack found to be related to the COVID-19 infection cluster.

Senior Minister (Security Cluster), Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob said, the JKWP would also carry out cleaning and disinfection process at the construction site and the shack in the near future.

According to him, the Construction Industry Development Board (CIDB) Federal Territory had earlier reported on the COVID-19 infection at a construction site in Kuala Lumpur.

"The cluster has been identified because the contractor has complied with the standard operating procedure (SOP), which is to perform COVID-19 screening on their workers before they are allowed to operate.

"After performing the COVID-19 screening on all workers, 44 people were positive and sent to the Sungai Buloh Hospital for treatment.

"Workers with close contact have also been quarantined," he said at a press conference here Tuesday.

Ismail Sabri said, the CIDB would continue to inspect construction sites to ensure the SOP was complied with throughout the Conditional Movement Control Order (CMCO) period.

"To date, 5,236 construction sites have been inspected. Of these, 728 construction sites were found to be compliant with the SOP while 209 others were not compliant and were warned," he added.

So far, seven construction sites have been ordered to close while 4,292 others have not been operational.

At the same time, 27,383 workers at the construction sites were screened for COVID-19 by their respective employers.