SHAH ALAM:The Selangor state government yesterday announced three initiatives to curb the spread of COVID-19 in the state which were agreed upon at the 14th Selangor State Security Council special meeting.

Selangor Menteri Besar Datuk Seri Amirudin Shari in a statement said that the three measures were to isolate the Kuala Lumpur International Airport (KLIA) cargo workers, identify five locations to open low risk COVID-19 quarantine and treatment centres, and to increase coordination with district health offices so that foreign worker screenings could be expedited.

The first is an initiative by the state government and related agencies to help curb the spread of COVID-19 infection among workers in KLIA, especially among foreign workers.

"Till today, 9,056 (82 per cent) out of 11,000 local and foreign workers in the cargo division have undergone COVID-19 screening, with only seven positive cases detected since last Thursday, all of them being locals,” he said.

Amirudin said the cost of the screenings will be borne by the company while the state will bear half of the costs for the accommodation of the participants from Nov 26 to Dec 9.

He said the second initiative was to provide accommodation for asymptomatic positive individuals to reduce the number of patients at existing COVID-19 hospitals.

For the third initiative, Amirudin said the state government had ordered the district safety committees and disaster management committees to coordinate with the local authorities and district health offices to expedite foreign worker screening.

The measures implemented are in accordance with the Federal Government’s decision.

Amirudin added that although there was a rise in the number of COVID-19 cases in the state, the situation was still under control.

"This is because the new cases come from areas where the Enhanced Movement Control Order is being enforced and the state government believes that the implementation of these measures will reduce the risk of spreading COVID-19.

"All these initiatives reflect the state government’s commitment in ensuring that the spread of the virus is controlled and stopped,” he said.

-- BERNAMA