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KUALA LUMPUR: The Malaysian government has ordered all foreign workers in the country to undergo mandatory COVID-19 testing, and their employers to pay the bill.
At a press conference on Monday (May 4), Prime Minister Ismail Sabri Yaakob said that all foreign workers, regardless of the sector they work in, will need a swab.
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“For two days in a row, there was an increase in positive COVID-19 cases in Malaysia and many of them were found to be foreign workers working at a construction site in Ampang,” he said.
He was referring to a new group announced by the Ministry of Health on Sunday, where 28 foreign citizens tested positive for the virus.
Malaysia’s Prime Minister and Defense Minister Ismail Sabri Yaakob speaks at a press conference in Putrajaya on March 19, 2020. (Photo: Bernama)
“To curb the spread of the virus, the Works Department closed the affected construction site. As a preventive measure, the government agreed to make it mandatory for all foreign workers in all sectors to be screened and screened for COVID-19.
“This will apply to foreign workers in all sectors, including construction, restaurants, and commercial services. The Ministry of Health suggested that mandatory screening begin first in Kuala Lumpur and Selangor, “said the minister.
Ismail Sabri added that, as a preventive measure, the government would shut down any facilities found with workers who are positive for the virus.
“Regardless of what sector it is, if we find a single positive case, the facility will be closed immediately,” he said.
READ: Malaysia detains hundreds of refugees and migrants during COVID-19 lockdown: rights groups
Malaysia has seen an increase in cases in recent days. On Saturday, there were 105 positive cases, while on Sunday there were 122.
Health Ministry director general Noor Hisham Abdullah said Saturday that around 3,300 migrant workers have been screened for COVID-19.
He said the ministry had conducted three swab tests on each of the 3,300 people in the past two weeks.
Dr. Noor Hisham said that of the 3,300 foreign workers, 586 were undocumented and were removed from the community.
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