Villagers monitored, not quarantined for MERS: Health DG
Published on: Saturday, April 19, 2014
Putra Jaya: The Health Ministry on Friday clarified that 64 villagers of Kg Bintang Laut in Batu Pahat, Johor, suspected of showing early symptoms of the Middle East Respiratory Syndrome coronavirus (MERS-CoV) have been placed under home monitoring and not quarantined. Director-General of Health Datuk Dr Noor Hisham Abdullah said reports of quarantine in the local newspapers Friday were incorrect. "Under the Prevention and Control of Infectious Diseases Act, the term 'quarantine' means isolation or observation and includes a hospital for contagious diseases and any premise gazetted as a quarantine station by the Minister.
ADVERTISEMENT
"As such, the statement that 64 villagers were quarantined is wrong," he said in a media statement. Dr Noor Hisham said the Chairman of the Johor State Health and Environment Committee, Datuk Ayub Rahmat, had referred to monitoring through home supervision. On Wednesday, Health Minister Datuk Seri Dr S. Subramaniam confirmed the death of a man on April 13 from MERS-CoV, the first such case reported in Asean.The man had just returned from performing the 'umrah' (minor Haj).
ADVERTISEMENT
Following the death, Dr Noor Hisham said the ministry immediately began to monitor the incidence of MERS-CoV in the country. "Daily health monitoring was conducted on those at risk and health education was given to the public and those who had been exposed," he said.
ADVERTISEMENT
He said 27 samples were taken from those who had close contact, including health officers who were at risk. Stay up-to-date by following Daily Express’s Telegram channel.
Daily Express Malaysia
