Owners of premises urged to check visitors' COVID risk status

KUALA LUMPUR: Premise owners, especially in high-risk areas like restaurants, are urged to check the COVID-19 risk status of visitors using the MySejahtera app, Health Minister Khairy Jamaluddin said.

He said that would ensure that high-risk individuals, including COVID-19 positive patients those under home surveillance orders (HSO), were not allowed into the premises, adding that enforcement action under the Prevention and Control of Infectious Diseases Act 1988 (Act 342) would be taken for failing to comply with set regulations.

"In shopping malls with many entrances, you don't need to (check the status of every visitor) but we urge premise owners or enforcement teams to conduct random checks.

"I urge the public to cooperate with premise owners should they approach you to check your profile. This is for everybody's safety, we are in the transition process," he said at the media conference after the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between Clinical Research Malaysia (CRM) and Drugs for Neglected Diseases initiative (DNDi) today.

Health director-general Tan Sri Dr Noor Hisham Abdullah, Health deputy director-general (Research and Technical Support) Datuk Dr Hishamshah Mohd Ibrahim and DNDi South East Asia Office directorJean-Michael Piedagnel were also present at the signing.

On the MoU, Khairy said his ministry intended to continue efforts to step up readiness against dengue and to eradicate the endemic disease by 2030.

"I hope more effort and support can be given to neglected diseases, especially tropical diseases like dengue as such diseases do not receive adequate attention as they do not occur in rich countries, but in places in South East Asia, Africa and other regions.

"The Health Ministry is keen to continue our existing partnership with DNDi that have led exemplary work in having established safe, affordable and effective treatment of Hepatitis C, garnered through collaborative efforts between developing nations, including Malaysia," he added.

Meanwhile, at another event, Khairy also witnessed the presentation and distribution of iftar packs from Pharmaniaga Berhad (Pharmaniaga) group managing director Datuk Zulkarnain Md Eusope to Kuala Lumpur Hospital director Datin Paduka Dr Rohana Johan at the hospital. Staff of the hospital's Emergency and Trauma department were also on hand to receive the packs.

The packs were a sign of Pharmaniaga's appreciation to staff of public hospitals and district police in the Klang Valley under the Ramadan Hero programme.

-- BERNAMA