IPOH: The occupancy rate at the COVID-19 Quarantine and Low Risk Treatment Centres (PKRC) nationwide is currently at 60 per cent, said National Disaster Management Agency (NADMA) director-general Datuk Dr Aminuddin Hassim.

He said should the number of patients at the PKRC continues to increase, the facilities at the Federal Public Training Institutes and public hostels could be used, but this would depend on newly reported cases and the current situation.

"We will ensure that there is a 20 per cent buffer for each PKRC. If the capacity has reached 80 per cent, we will look at certain options, among them the 360 Federal Public Training Institutes available nationwide.

"This is one possibility, though most of these public institutes were earlier used as quarantine centres for those returning from abroad. If the situation is critical, NADMA will use them but not in all states and this will also depend on the manpower available," he said after visiting Ipoh Arena Badminton PKRC today.

He said public assets (government buildings and infrastructure) were chosen because they can be mobilised immediately with the cooperation of various parties such as the state government, adding that this could reduce quarantine centre and PKRC operating costs.

He said more PKRCs would be set up to accommodate category one and two COVID-19 patients and this would be focused on densely populated areas such as in Johor Bahru and the Klang Valley.

NADMA is responsible for the smooth running of 80 PKRCs nationwide involving 30,000 beds with about 5,000 health and non-health workers to attend to patients.

-- BERNAMA