People returning from overseas not allowed to choose quarantine stations

People under surveillance (PUS) including foreigners and Malaysians returning from overseas who must undergo a 14-day quarantine at quarantine stations are not allowed to choose the stations.

This is according to the 'Guidelines on the Entry and Quarantine Process for Persons Under Surveillance (PUS) Arriving from Abroad' effective July 24, 2020, issued by the National Disaster Management Agency (NADMA).

According to the guidelines, registration of the PUS will be at all international gates, coordinated by NADMA and the Civil Defence Force.

"The registration secretariat will coordinate the PUS and manage the logistics at the Kuala Lumpur International Airport (KLIA), klia2 or air, sea and land gates throughout Malaysia.

"The PUS must display their 'Letter of Undertaking and Indemnity' to the officer on duty. The secretariat at the international gates will see to the logistic needs of the PUS to the designated quarantine station," said the posting on the guidelines in the NADMA website, www.nadma.gov.my.

Effective today, the government has made it compulsory for anyone returning to Malaysia from overseas to undergo a compulsory quarantine procedure for 14 days at designated quarantine stations either at the Public Training Institute or hotel, based on the agreed cost, and no longer at home, and those affected will also have to bear the full quarantine and screening costs.

This follows the non-compliance of some individuals who had been instructed to undergo home quarantine and went to public places and restaurants, as shown on social media, causing public concern.

The government has also allowed children aged 12 years and younger to share a room with their parents at the quarantine stations on condition they are returning from the same place, and they have to send a letter of agreement.

Meanwhile, sponsors of students have to bear the cost of quarantine for these students while students from B-40 families can apply for exemption from payment and the government will bear the cost of quarantine for persons holding the 'disabled persons' card from the Malaysian Social Welfare Department.

Yesterday, Health Director-General Datuk Dr Noor Hisham Abdullah said the upward trend of daily cases and the number of new large clusters could be due to the complacency and non-compliance of the public towards the standard-operating-procedure and advice of the government to curb the spread of COVID-19.

He said of late, the social media had exposed several individuals who were under the Home Surveillance Order (HSO) but were seen in public places.

He added that the latest analysis obtained through the MySejahtera application showed that from July 7 to 20, 24.8 per cent of people placed under the HSO did not use the 'Home Assessment Tool' to conduct daily self-assessment during the quarantine period.

-- BERNAMA