KUALA LUMPUR, March 16 — Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia (UKM) today denied that it has any positive cases of Covid-19 among students and lecturers residing on its campus, describing such allegations of positive cases as “fake news”.
UKM, however, said it was aware that one of its undergraduate students and one of its lecturers have been identified by the Health Ministry (MoH) as close contacts of a Covid-19 patient, adding that the duo were coincidentally part of a 40-member delegation to Indonesia organised by a Malaysian government-held company.
“The group consisted of company staff and their family members. They have been clinically assessed and inspected by the MOH and their clinical samples have been taken for diagnostic purposes whereby the result will be confirmed by the MOH within 48 hours.
“All members of the delegation are indeed HEALTHY and do not have any symptoms of Covid-19 infection. They have been monitored closely by the MOH. They are allowed to return home and have been issued a quarantine order at home/residence until March 17, 2020,” UKM said in a statement signed off by its University Health Centre head Dr Mohd Azman Abas who is also secretary of the university’s Crisis Action Committee: Infectious Disease Category.
UKM, which is located in Bangi, Selangor, further said: “The University insists that our UKM campus area is SAFE and FREE from any CONTAMINATION of the Covid 19 virus.”
“The university hopes the campus community is NOT spreading any inaccurate news about the possible outbreak on campus,” UKM said, adding that all questions and feedback on Covid-19 should be directed to medical officers at the UKM University Health Centre.
In a separate statement by UKM’s deputy vice-chancellor Prof Datuk Mohd Marzuki Mustafa, the university announced that all teaching and learning activities will be conducted fully online from today onwards until a later date to be informed, with students allowed to follow such lessons online either from home or at their residential colleges.
UKM also said that all practical training and activities outside the classroom would be postponed, while saying that post-graduate students are allowed to continue carrying out research in the labs.
Both statements by UKM were posted on its official Facebook page.
