Experts rue lax quarantine rule as Sabah-linked cases reported nationwide
- UPDATED 10.44PM | The article has been updated to reflect Sept 30 data announced at about 7.30pm.
COVID-19 | Experts are questioning the Health Ministry’s decision to allow those who test negative for Covid-19 after returning from Sabah to end their home quarantine after Sabah-linked cases increase throughout Peninsular Malaysia.
Starting Sept 23, all states in the peninsula have reported cases linked to Sabah, with two clusters emerging in Selangor and Johor alone...
- UPDATED 10.44PM | The article has been updated to reflect Sept 30 data announced at about 7.30pm.
COVID-19 | Experts have questioned the Health Ministry’s decision to allow those who tested negative for Covid-19 after returning from Sabah to end their home quarantine after Sabah-linked cases increased nationwide.
Starting Sept 23, all states have reported cases linked to Sabah, with two clusters emerging in Selangor and Johor alone.
“Prudent to have a quarantine period even after an initial negative test at KLIA/KLIA2. An initial negative test does not mean the traveller will not be positive in the days ahead,” infectious diseases expert Dr Christopher Lee said on Twitter.
The former Health Ministry deputy director-general said airport screening and a mandatory 14-day home quarantine could have also prevented two school students in SMK Pandamaran Jaya in Klang from being infected.
The students are part of the Jalan Apas cluster, traced to their brother, who had travelled to Tawau and Semporna from Sept 13 to 16.
"Just looking at the number of cases today linked to Sabah, perhaps we need to address this current situation differently from previous clusters.
"Depending on just one test during entry is worrying unless linked to some quarantine," Lee added today.
Some 25 of 86 cases reported today were linked to Sabah, not including cases in earlier announced clusters where the index case had travelled to Sabah.
Retired Health Ministry specialist Dr Amar Singh concurred, saying a national outbreak was possible without repeated tests and mandatory quarantine.
“One negative is not fully reliable to ensure the person is not Covid-19 infected. The 14-day quarantine and repeated tests are critical,” he said.
The ministry mandated tests for all Sabah returnees starting Sept 27, but said those who tested negative and did not have contact with a patient need not observe the 14-day home quarantine rule.
However, they are encouraged to quarantine themselves voluntarily and can seek an additional test at government clinics on the 13th day after returning.
Selangor has most cases linked to Sabah
Yesterday, Health director-general Dr Noor Hisham Abdullah justified the decision to allow Sabah returnees who test negative to break quarantine.
He said this followed the precedent set in other states which had experienced localised outbreaks before.
This included Kedah, where an outbreak was first triggered by a man who returned from India and who had breached the home quarantine order.
The state also experienced a spike in cases after a man was tested positive after attending a memorial service.
Noor Hisham said even when parts of Kedah were under an enhanced movement control order, those who tested negative were allowed to leave their homes.
However, data shows that the Kedah outbreak did not spread beyond neighbouring Perlis and Penang.
In contrast, Sarawak and Labuan are the only places which have not announced any cases linked to Sabah in the past week.
A total of 67.3 percent of locally transmitted Covid-19 cases outside of Sabah since Sept 23 is linked to Sabah.
The first case of local transmission in the peninsula traced to Sabah is believed to be a United Overseas Bank employee who visited Semporna.
The bank announced the case in the late afternoon of Sept 22. The case was captured in the Health Ministry's data for Sept 23, believed to be because the test results came through after the data collection cut-off time the day before.
Since that date, 99 cases of local transmissions have been linked to Sabah, with 39 in Selangor.
This includes those in the Jalan Apas cluster in Klang where the index cases were a couple who visited Semporna and Tawau from Sept 13 to 16. Their family members have been infected.
Today, Amanah urged all party members who campaigned in Sabah for the recently concluded election there to get tested and observe home quarantine after one of its member in Penang tested positive after returning from the state.
Meanwhile, PKR’s Lembah Pantai MP Fahmi Fadzil said his service centre will be temporarily closed after a staff member tested positive after returning from Sabah.
Two Umno leaders from the Klang Valley have also tested positive after campaigning in Sabah while several other Umno leaders including president Ahmad Zahid Hamidi are in quarantine after contact with an election candidate who has tested positive.
On Sept 28, a targeted enhanced movement control order was imposed on the districts of Kunak, Semporna, Lahad Datu and Tawau, following more than 1,000 cases detected there this month.
The order, which affects more than 900,000 residents, is until Oct 12.
No travel is allowed to and from these districts.
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