7 SHAH ALAM PPV STAFF INFECTED
Close contacts tested negative, self-isolating, says task force
THE Covid-19 Immunisation Task Force (CITF) yesterday confirmed that seven staff at the Setia City Convention Centre (SCCC) mega vaccination centre (PPV) had tested positive for Covid-19 on July 11.
It said 11 close contacts of the seven had been identified and ordered to self-isolate.
They subsequently tested negative for the virus.
“Since all information pertaining to positive cases is confidential, only medical officers were allowed to obtain the details.
“The SCCC does not prevent any staff from undergoing Covid-19 tests.
“The affected areas at the centre have been identified and sanitised by the management,” it said in a statement.
The CITF was responding to an article on Sunday by healthcare news portal Code Blue, which quoted volunteers from the SCCC claiming that the centre’s management failed to inform them that several other volunteers had tested positive.
The report also quoted the volunteers as saying the management had failed to conduct mass testing following the discovery, and did not issue guidelines on what they should do.
The volunteers said they learnt of the cases when those who tested positive revealed the information to others.
The report also said there were allegations that Covid-19 positive indivuduals had received their vaccinations at SCCC.
The CITF said former Covid-19 patients who have been released from their quarantine period with a Home Release Order document issued by the district health office were allowed to receive the vaccine jab.
The former patients, it said, must be healthy and must not display any symptoms, in accordance with the Clinical Guidelines on Covid-19 Vaccination of Malaysia (2nd Edition).
The CITF said it would ensure vaccinatins centres adhered to the standard operating procedures (SOP) to reduce the risk of infection, especially when sporadic cases were on the rise in the community.
The SCCC centre opened on June 7, and has vaccinated 230,000 people as of Saturday.
The CITF said all vaccination centres must comply with guidelines, such as on physical distancing, as well as monitoring staff and volunteers for Covid-19 symptoms.
“The SCCC staff also undergo temperature checks before starting work on a daily basis. They are required to wear face masks and are encouraged to wear face shields while on duty.
“This is in line with the SOP set by the Health Ministry. The ministry has also set guidelines for indoor air ventilation and quality and management of healthcare facilities during the Covid-19 pandemic as a measure to reduce the risk of airborne transmission of the coronavirus,” it said.