A CAUTIOUS CELEBRATION
Everyone is stable and receiving treatment, says health minister
MALAYSIANS who are infected with the novel coronavirus (2019-nCoV) are not in danger, said Health Minister Datuk Seri Dr Dzulkefly Ahmad.
There are 15 cases of 2019-nCoV in the country, with four of them being Malaysians.
“Almost everyone is generally stable and not in danger. We will continue to treat them symptomatically,” he said here yesterday.
The first local case involved a 41-year-old man who returned from Singapore on Jan 23 after attending a conference, which was attended by a delegation from China.
He tested positive for 2019nCoV on Feb 3, and was placed at an isolation ward in Sungai Buloh Hospital.
His sister, who was Malaysia’s 13th coronavirus case, was the first case of local coronavirus transmission. She is warded at Sultanah Bahiyah Hospital in Kedah and is reported to be in stable condition.
Two Malaysians who returned on an evacuation flight from Wuhan, the epicentre of the outbreak, tested positive for 2019nCoV on Feb 5. The father and son have been warded at Tuanku Ja’afar Hospital in Seremban, Negri Sembilan.
Dr Dzulkefly said the ministry conducted contact tracing on the first local case, adding that the sample results of his family members returned negative.
“We did throat swabs (on all his close contacts) and all came back negative, including his wife.”
Dr Dzulkefly said another tourist from China tested positive for 2019-nCoV.
He said the woman, 59, was from Wuhan and had arrived in Johor from Singapore with her husband, son and daughter-inlaw on Jan 21.
“She developed a fever on Jan 26, but took medicine that her son had bought at a pharmacy.
“She was scheduled to return to China on Feb 4, but decided to remain (in the country) because she was not feeling well. Her son and his wife flew back home.
“On Feb 5, the woman was still ill. She was referred to a hospital and was found to have been infected with 2019-nCoV on Feb 6.”
He said the woman was warded at the isolation ward in Permai Johor Baru Hospitaland reported to be in stable condition.
She was accompanied by her husband, whose samples had been taken for tests.
Dr Dzulkefly advised the public, especially those who were at high risk such as young children, pregnant women and the elderly, to limit visits to the hospital.
“If you need to go to the hospital, refrain from touching your eyes, nose and mouth until you have washed your hands with soap. Try to maintain a distance of 1m radius from anyone who is coughing or sneezing.”
Dr Dzulkefly had, on Thursday, advised Hindu devotees and visitors taking part in the Thaipusam celebration today to take precautionary measures to prevent infections.
He urged everyone to prioritise personal hygiene by regularly washing their hands with water and soap or sanitiser, and to wear
face masks.
Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail, in a statement yesterday, said the government had taken steps to tighten measures against the outbreak of the 2019-nCOV virus, which has reached 27,636 cases with 638 fatalities globally.
She said travel restrictions imposed on Chinese visitors from Hubei and Wuhan would be expanded to other regions locked down by the Chinese government.
“The Immigration Department will implement the travel restrictions once the Chinese government declares a territory has been locked down.”
She said the other steps included boosting checks at entry points by increasing the number of thermal scanners, as well as laboratories to speed up investigation and detection of sample results from suspected coronavirus patients.
“In addition to government hospitals, the Health Ministry will expand the facility to conduct 2019-nCoV detection tests to include 18 laboratories, including the Institute of Medical Research, the National Public Health Laboratory, four state public health laboratories and 12 government hospitals.”
Dr Wan Azizah said the steps were decided at a special National Disaster Management Agency (Nadma) meeting on Thursday.
The meeting was attended by Communications and Multimedia Minister Gobind Singh Deo, Domestic Trade and Consumer Affairs Minister Datuk Seri Saifuddin Nasution Ismail, Chief Secretary to the Government Datuk Seri Mohd Zuki Ali, secretaries-general of ministries, as well as officials from the National Security Council, the Immigration Department and Nadma.
Dr Wan Azizah said the number of coronavirus patients in Malaysia stood at 15.
She said the Foreign Ministry was coordinating the return of 212 non-essential personnel from the Malaysian embassy and consulates in China.
She said upon their arrival at the Kuala Lumpur International Airport, the diplomatic personnel would be taken to a health checkpoint for screening.
“Those with symptoms of the disease will be hospitalised while others will be allowed to return home and kept under home surveillance for 14 days.
“They should report to a nearby clinic or hospital should they display symptoms such as cough, cold, fever, shortness of breath or other health complications.”
She said up to 8pm on Thursday, 10 non-essential staff members (from two families) from the Malaysian consulate in Guangzhou had arrived at KLIA and were taken to the health checkpoint for examination.
They were later allowed to leave and placed under home surveillance.
Dr Wan Azizah said the government would assist the 34 Malaysian citizens in Wuhan who could not return home together with the 107 citizens who were repatriated on Feb 4.
“They are not able to leave the region following the restrictions imposed by the Chinese government.”
She said official events or public activities may continue unless the organisers chose to cancel it.