Sarawak snubs federal order loosening quarantine SOP for ministers

KUCHING: Sarawak will not follow the health ministry’s decision to allow ministers who return from any official visit abroad to undergo observation for only three days, FMT reported.

State local government and housing minister Dr Sim Kui Hian said anyone who entered Sarawak was still required to undergo a 14-day mandatory quarantine at a designated hotel or centre.

“The policy is still the same: those who return from abroad need to be quarantined for 14 days and a swab test will be taken on the 10th day, regardless of whether they are ministers, YBs or VIPs” he said when contacted.

He said the Sarawak Disaster Management Committee would seek advice from medical experts before deciding to make any changes to the quarantine policy.

He was responding to an order signed by health minister Dr Adham Baba that says ministers who return from any official visit abroad are now required to undergo observation for only three days or undergo surveillance until they can be discharged without danger to the public.

The new rule is contained in a ministerial order in force from Feb 9 until Aug 1. It was published in the Government Gazette under the Prevention and Control of Infectious Diseases Act.