Test call for KL event attendees
>>The Thai embassy in Kuala Lumpur has issued an urgent advisory warning the 132 Thai-Muslims who attended an event in the Malaysian capital earlier this month to be immediately tested for Covid-19 after Malaysian authorities found new patients linked with the event.
Ambassador Narong Sasithorn issued the warning on Friday asking Thai attendees of the Jhor Qudamak and Ulamak Malasia 2020 events held at Kuala Lumpur’s Sri Petaling Mosque from Feb 27 to March 2 to get tested for Covid-19 “as soon as possible”.
Even though most of the 132 attendees travelled from different locations in Thailand, the embassy believes some are still in Malaysia and is urging them to go the nearest designated hospital for a test, call the embassy hotline at 017-700-48 or report to Malaysia’s Crisis Preparedness and Response Centre.
The embassy has also advised them to go into self-quarantine until test results are released, adding that they may have to spend 14 days in a Malaysian state quarantine centre.
The urgent notice came after Malaysian health authorities conducted a mass Covid-19 screening of participants at the event and found six infected.
The event had attracted 16,000 participants, of which some 14,000 were local.
As for foreign participants, 11 from Brunei tested positive upon returning home, while a two-year-old girl was also reportedly infected after coming in contact with one of the participants.
Meanwhile, the Singapore government has tracked down 95 persons who attended the event and found two infected.
As of press time, none of the 132 Thais who attended the event had contacted the Thai embassy in Kuala Lumpur, though an official in Narathiwat province said authorities had contacted some participants.
Abdulasid Jehmamah, vice-president of the Central Islamic Council of Thailand, said yesterday the council may have to temporarily halt Friday prayers if the number of Covid-19 infections continue rising.
Islamic governing bodies in other countries are reportedly considering the same, and Kuwait, where there has recently been a sudden jump of Covid19 patients, has encouraged people to say their Friday prayers at home.