KK Dapsy chief thanks returning Sabahan students for complying with state quarantine
KOTA KINABALU: Kota Kinabalu Democratic Action Party Socialist Youth (Dapsy) chief George Wong yesterday said students who underwent mandatory quarantine upon returning on domestic flights could consider themselves as having done national service.
Wong, who is also a Dapsy Sabah organizing secretary, said he deeply sympathised with returning students having been admitted to the Likas Sports Complex quarantine centre after returning from Peninsula Malaysia or Sarawak.
He called for calm following an uproar over the apparent different treatment in that some were allowed to return home but some were imposed mandatory quarantine.
“I am made to understand the difference in treatment is because the students were divided into several categories. Those who have undergone a Covid-19 test prior to boarding the plane need not be quarantined at the quarantine centres but merely need to self-quarantine at home for 14 days.
“Those who have not undergone any Covid-19 test whatsoever will be marked as Persons Under Surveillance (PUS) or Persons Under Investigation (PUI) depending on whether they have been in close contact with any positive cases and admitted to the quarantine centres,” said Wong in a statement issued here yesterday.
Wong urged for understanding of the circumstances of the frontliners in the centre as there are a lot of things which are not entirely under their control, including the change in SOP due to those being home quarantined defying the order and later tested positive for Covid-19.
“These frontline doctors and healthcare workers also do not know which of the students are Covid-19 positive and who are negative before the release of the results,” he said.
Wong said that as a result, the risk of these PUI and PUS contracting Covid-19 inside the centre might end up much higher, especially between those sharing of cubicles.
“I would consider these PUI and PUS as having done national service by bearing these risks of contracting Covid-19 inside the centre rather than having risk infecting people outside when they are unsure of their own results yet,” he said.
Wong added that the whole purpose of quarantine was to ensure that all of these PUI (Persons Under Investigation) and PUS (Person Under Surveillance) were Covid-19 free before being released back to the public.
At the end of the day, the main purpose of quarantine was to keep the public safe by excluding any persons with risk from society until they are certified Covid-19 free, he said.
Wong said that the facilities in the centre might not exactly be of hotel standards, but it was definitely not unfit for habitation as claimed by certain quarters with the basic facilities such as eight water dispensers (hot & cold) available, these water dispensers were sponsored by Youth and Sport Minister Phoong Jin Zhe, the brand new beds and linen, and the centre being hygienic to a certain standards.
“I am made to understand that there has been an in-house telephone in the quarantine centre to enable those inside the quarantine centre to send feedbacks to the authorities for immediate action since 15 May.
"Furthermore, a QR code has been set up to enable them to leave comments or lodge complaints from May 18 onwards,” said Wong.
He noted that there were at least five to six nurses on duty each time at the quarantine centre together with doctors from Queen Elizabeth Hospital.
Besides that, the Unit Pertahanan Awam is also on standby in the event of any incidents and to assist with relocation of the patients.
“On behalf of the students and youths in Kota Kinabalu, I would like to express our appreciation and thanks to the frontliners serving at the Likas Sports Complex for their dedication and care. You all are the best!” said Wong.