40,000 could be quarantined at one time once all 409 centres across Malaysia is ready, says Ismail Sabri

KUALA LUMPUR, April 4 — Once Malaysia opens all 409 quarantine centres across the country, over 40,000 people can be quarantined at the same time, said Senior Minister Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob.

He said Malaysia currently has opened 90 quarantine centres across the country

He added that until April 3, 4,933 Malaysians, including 1,888 who arrived from abroad, have been undergoing mandatory quarantine to prevent the outbreak of Covid-19 which has infected more than 3,000 people in the country and killed more than 50.

“A total of 1,888 individuals have been quarantined in the country, 711 of them arrived at Kuala Lumpur International Airport yesterday.

“Since March 19 and the implementation of the movement control order (MCO), a total of 4,933 individuals have been placed in quarantine, and until now, 90 quarantine centres are in operation.

“We have been informed that about 40,000 people can be quarantined at any one time, so we have more than enough space,” he said during a daily press conference in Putrajaya today.

Ismail Sabri said that passengers en route to Sabah and Sarawak who arrive in KLIA but do not have onward tickets or have to wait a few days for their connecting flights will also be put in Kuala Lumpur and Selangor quarantine centres.

Senior Minister Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob said since March 19 and the implementation of the MCO, a total of 4,933 individuals have been placed in quarantine, and until now, 90 quarantine centres are in operation.

On a related matter, he also denied that quarantined Malaysians were brought to quarantine centres in trucks belonging to the Prisons Department, calling it fake news.

“The news is false because they were taken by buses provided by the government or Nadma (National Disaster Management Agency).

“Trucks are only used to transport their luggage,” he said.

Ismail Sabri, who is the defence minister, also thanked Celcom for providing free SIM cards and data to those in quarantine.

He said Celcom has promised to provide 1 gigabyte (Gb) of data for WhatsApp as well as 10Gb for Facebook and Instagram.

A general view of the low-risk Covid-19 quarantine and treatment centre at the Malaysia Agro Exposition Park Serdang April 3, 2020. — Picture by Yusof Mat Isa