Over 8,000 migrants in detention tested Covid-19 positive since last year
PARLIAMENT | A total of 8,777 detainees in immigration depots had tested positive for Covid-19 from May last year to Aug 25 this year, according to Home Minister Hamzah Zainuddin.
From the figure, Hamzah in a parliamentary response to Noor Amin Ahmad (Harapan-Kangar), said there were 11 deaths recorded.
Hamzah also said that as of Aug 27 this year, another 330 migrants had tested positive...
PARLIAMENT | A total of 8,777 detainees in immigration depots had tested positive for Covid-19 from May last year to Aug 25 this year, according to Home Minister Hamzah Zainuddin.
From the figure, Hamzah in a parliamentary response to Noor Amin Ahmad (Harapan-Kangar), said there were 11 deaths recorded.
Hamzah also said that as of Aug 27 this year, another 330 migrants had tested positive from a total of 11,180 migrants under the Prisons Department.
From the figure, another six deaths were recorded, comprising migrants from India, Indonesia, Vietnam, China and Thailand.
"The Home Ministry through the Immigration Department and Prisons Department always focused on the welfare of detainees by providing special care and protection while they are under detention," Hamzah said.
As part of measures to ensure a good level of health among detainees, he said the Immigration Department has cooperated with the Health Ministry to place 14 assistant medical officers at immigration depots nationwide.
This was on top of identifying the nearest health clinic to serve as a referral centre for the appointed assistant medical office and supplier for medicines.
"The Health Ministry also conducts periodic checks on the immigration depots from time to time," he added.
Overall, Hamzah said the Prisons Department and Immigration Department had also introduced various Covid-19 prevention measures, including transferring detainees from high capacity facilities to lower capacity facilities to ensure social distancing.
Last year, following a series of immigration raids that took place from the start of May, Malaysia announced a cluster of cases at the Bukit Jalil immigration depot on May 21, followed by the Semenyih immigration depot cluster several weeks later.
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