KUALA LUMPUR – Seven national athletes and a boccia squad escort officer who was previously confirmed positive for Covid-19 were allowed to leave the Covid-19 Quarantine and Low-Risk Treatment Centre (PKRC) at the Malaysia Agro Exposition Park (MAEPS) in Serdang on Tuesday.
National Sports Council (MSN) director-general Datuk Ahmad Shapawi Ismail said all of them are currently at Casa MSN for fitness rehabilitation under the supervision of the National Sports Institute (ISN) before being allowed to return to training as usual.
He also confirmed that five MSN officers who had previously tested positive for Covid-19 were allowed to leave two quarantine centres today.
Two other MSN officers who tested positive for Covid-19, on January 8 and 10, respectively, are still undergoing quarantine at MAEPS Serdang, while a national wushu athlete who tested positive on January 9 is still undergoing quarantine at Sungai Buloh Hospital.
MSN had previously confirmed that seven national athletes, two each from athletics, wheelchair tennis and wheelchair basketball, a hearing-impaired tenpin bowling athlete, and a boccia squad escort officer had tested positive for Covid-19.
Meanwhile, Shapawi said that the quarantine-based approach centralised training camp involving 632 podium athletes, para podium, back up athletes, and national coaches from 28 types of sports will continue as usual after getting approval from the relevant authorities, although subject to strict standard operating procedures (SOPs) and conditions.
It involves five venues, namely Bukit Jalil MSN Complex, Taman Keramat MSN Complex, Bukit Kiara Malaysian Badminton Academy, National Sailing Training Centre in Langkawi, and the National Velodrome in Nilai, Negeri Sembilan.
Shapawi also said that a total of 355 athletes and coaches from 11 types of sports in Bukit Jalil and Kampung Pandan Paralympic Sports Excellence Centre have been allowed to break camp during the implementation of the Movement Control Order (PKP) for 14 days starting yesterday. – Bernama, January 14, 2021
