MELAKA: The Public Service Department (PSD) has been urged to consider listing COVID-19 as an infectious disease so that parents looking after their infected child will be eligible for the five-day quarantine leave.
State Health and Anti-Drug Committee chairman Dr Muhamad Akmal Saleh this was to be fair and provide relief to close contacts especially health service employees whose children are COVID-19 positive.
“I believe if their children are COVID-19 positive, no one would want to look after them during the quarantine period which is between seven and 10 days. As such, the parents will have to apply for annual leave.
“It is unfair for the parents if they are forced to take annual leave and some who are forced to work would not be able to stay focused in the work place,” he said in a statement here today.
Dr Muhamad Akmal said if COVID-19 was listed as an infectious disease, the parents would be able to take turns to take care of their children during the quarantine period.
According to Service Circular No. 11 2016, quarantine leave entitlement is only for parents whose children are infected with a contagious disease and this applies to children under 18 or under 21 if the child is still studying.
The six transmissible diseases listed in the circular are hand, foot and mouth disease, dengue fever, dengue haemorrhagic fever, measles, chickenpox, diphtheria and malaria.
Health Minister Khairy Jamaluddin on Thursday said an announcement on the close contact isolation protocol would be made next week, in line with the protocol practiced by health workers under the MOH.
Under the protocol, those who are close contacts and asymptomatic, need not undergo quarantine and are only required to do self-testing on specific days. - Bernama