COVID-19 TESTS FOR ALL FOREIGN WORKERS
Mandatory screening initially in KL, Selangor to be borne by bosses, says Ismail Sabri
FOLLOWING the increase in Covid-19 positive cases for two consecutive days at a construction site in Jalan Ampang here, foreign workers in all sectors must now undergo mandatory screening for the infectious disease.
Defence Minister Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob said this would be done as a precautionary measure to curb the spread of Covid19.
He said at a meeting earlier yesterday, a decision was made to have foreign workers in all sectors, including restaurants, undergo Covid-19 testing.
He said the cost of the screening would be borne by employers.
He said the Health Ministry had suggested that the screening start here and in Selangor.
To curb the spread of the virus, Ismail Sabri said the Works Ministry had sealed off the site in Jalan Ampang. Other construction sites with Covid-19 positive cases would also be closed.
Meanwhile, on the return of Malaysians from Singapore, he said the number of people returning per day was still between 300 and 350.
He said there had been no mass return of Malaysians from Singapore.
On the undocumented migrants picked up in a raid over the weekend in Masjid India, Ismail Sabri said they had been sent to the Immigration depot, following the end of the Enhanced Movement Control Order (EMCO) in the area.
“Because the EMCO had already been lifted, they had no place to go. So we placed them in the Immigration depot”
On Sunday, the Immigration Department carried out another raid on illegal immigrants in the EMCO area at Masjid India, targeting the Selangor Mansion apartments which is believed to be the main dwelling location for foreigners in the area.
The raid was carried out in collaboration with the police, the Malaysian Armed Forces and the Health Ministry.
Ismail Sabri stressed that the government had the right to take action against immigrants living illegally in the country without valid documents and could not allow illegal immigrants to roam freely even if they had previously completed their Covid-19 quarantine in areas placed under EMCO.
The EMCO at Menara City One, Malayan Mansion, Selangor Mansion and the areas around Masjid India was lifted on Sunday.
He also said that the EMCO at the An-Nabawiyyah Tahfiz and a house in Batu 23, at Sungai Lui, Selangor would end today.
Ismail Sabri addedd that the EMCO at Pusat Bandar Utara here and the Kuala Lumpur wholesale market was only partially lifted as certain locations in these areas needed to remain under EMCO until May 12 on the Health Ministry’s advice.
“The EMCO for Parcel A and B involving Jalan 6/3A and 9/3A, Pusat Bandar Utara, Kuala Lumpur, and the Kuala Lumpur wholesale market ended yesterday (Sunday).
“However, the EMCO on Parcel C, D, E and F has been extended until May 12, on the Health Ministry’s advice.”
He added that the EMCO on Selayang Baru, Gombak, was only lifted in Parcel A and B, while the EMCO for Parcel C, D, E and F would be extended until May 12, which was also on the Health Ministry’s advice.