Quarantine order still applies to ministers returning home from abroad - Khairy

PUTRAJAYA: All ministers who are on holiday abroad and have been ordered to return home immediately are still subject to the quarantine order as stipulated, said Health Minister Khairy Jamaluddin.

"For now, they must undergo quarantine. It is very important to be vigilant and careful in this matter and this matter (quarantine) still applies," he told a press conference here today.

Yesterday, Prime Minister Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob said Cabinet ministers who are on leave and planning to go on holiday had been instructed to cancel their plans until the flood disaster in the country is resolved.

He said all ministers currently abroad have also been ordered to return home immediately.

On the claim that Hulu Langat MP Datuk Hasanuddin Mohd Yunus breached the quarantine order, Khairy said the Ministry of Health (MOH) was investigating the matter.

"He applied for quarantine exemption for a trip between Dec 8 and Dec 12. He went for an Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) meeting in Istanbul, Turkey with three other elected representatives.

"That exemption was approved because of the test and release protocol that we have for official travel," he said.

Khairy said Hasanuddin arrived in Malaysia on Dec 22 and the initial exemption was denied because he was asked to quarantine at home.

The Health Ministry's Crisis Preparedness and Response Centre (CPRC) sent an email to Hasanuddin on Dec 20 informing on the approval of the home surveillance order (HSO), he said.

"We are now investigating the case and finding out where he went, from Turkey to Iran and Pakistan and where else he was and why upon receiving the email on HSO on Dec 20, he broke his quarantine," he added.

Khairy said Hasanuddin would only be fined RM1,000 if found to have violated the home surveillance order.

On measures to control COVID-19 infection among flood victims, Khairy said the MOH was collaborating with various agencies to monitor the level of SOP compliance at relief centres.

"We understand the situation at relief centres makes it difficult for flood victims to comply with the SOP. We have placed health officers at relief centres to monitor and the victims are advised to continue to comply with the SOPs and they are required to wear face masks," he said.

Yesterday, Health director-general Tan Sri Dr Noor Hisham Abdullah said 405 COVID-19 positive cases were detected among flood victims in the affected states.

Following that, Khairy said targeted preventive measures had been carried out, namely by immediately isolating individuals tested positive for COVID-19.

He said the MOH had also established various health facilities in flood-affected areas especially at relief centres.

-- BERNAMA