KOTA KINABALU – Universiti Malaysia Sabah (UMS) has given an assurance that the welfare and well-being of its students will be ensured after a total lockdown was imposed on its campus yesterday.
On April 4, federal authorities placed three of the university’s hostels – KK Tun Mustapha, KK Tun Fuad and KK Tun Pengiran Ahmad Rafae – under enhanced movement control order to begin the next day, which later blanketed the entire campus.
The lockdown is scheduled to last till April 18.
An estimated 6,022 students are affected by the stay-indoors directive after 19 students tested positive for Covid-19 following swab tests on some 120 students.
The first infection was detected on March 25, but was only reported by health authorities on April 2 – over a week later.
Students were still able to travel freely on March 26 although coronavirus cases had already been detected within campus.
At that point, state health authorities had still not updated the latest number of infections at UMS.
The university has imposed stringent processes for students to keep infections in check.
These include the enrolment of student in stages from March 1 until March 4, designated drop-off points for students, and swab tests for high-risk individuals.
It is reliably learnt that all students’ parents are being updated on the condition of their children, who are now staying in their respective hostels.
Due to the lockdown, entry and exit of all staffers, students, contractors and the public have been restricted.
Only essential staff like security and the student affairs department are allowed to carry on with their daily duties.
“UMS management assures the emotional and physical health of the students at our colleges will be taken care of and their welfare will be looked into during this lockdown,” said UMS vice-chancellor, Prof Datuk Taufiq Yap Yun Hin, as he urged calm over the spread of Covid-19 on campus.
On a related development, Sabah has called on people to use the state-owned Sabah Trace app to register any social gatherings or events, or risk being fined by health authorities.
The registration system has been introduced to allow state health authorities to monitor any new Covid-19 outbreaks as a result of gatherings. – The Vibes, April 7, 2021
