White wristband gives away quarantine violator

BALIK PULAU: He thought people would not be bothered by his wristband, but they were.

A man, who is supposed to quarantine himself at home for 14 days after he was suspected to have come into contact with a local Covid-19 cluster, sneaked out to visit a fair in SPICE Convention Centre on Friday.

He was wearing a white hospital wristband and did not think anyone would react to it.

One of the exhibitors at the fair spotted the wristband and called the police without hesitation at 5.45pm, said Balik Pulau OCPD Supt A. Anbalagan.

“The man left the booth when he realised the exhibitor saw his wristband,” he said in a statement.

A team of police officers went to the fair in a flash and, shortly after, found the 42-year-old man and arrested him.

Supt Anbalagan said the man was supposed to fulfil his 14-day home quarantine and attend a follow-up screening on Aug 10.

He tested negative for Covid-19 the first time.

The man lives in Ayer Itam, Penang, and works in a factory in Kulim, Kedah.

Supt Anbalagan said the man violated the quarantine order of Regulation 10 of the Prevention and Control of Infectious Diseases (Measures within Infected Local Areas) Regulations 2020.

He said the man was taken to the Bayan Baru police station, where he was issued a compound of RM1,000.

Supt Anbalagan urged the public to quickly call the police if they spot possible violators of home quarantine.

Pink wristbands are issued to persons under investigation (PUI) who return from overseas.

White ones are worn by PUI of local clusters.