Don’t let Covid-19 patients to go shopping, make visits before quarantine: Penang exco

GEORGE TOWN – Penang is raising the alarm over Covid-19 patients who are allowed to roam freely for several hours before being quarantined.
 
State Environment and Welfare Committee chairman Phee Boon Poh said there is a high risk of the coronavirus spreading if these patients are allowed to walk about unsupervised before being fitted with a pink bracelet, denoting their quarantine status.
 
“We have discovered that the process to quarantine them is flawed.
 
“We have alerted the health authorities about ensuring that, if a person is positive, he or she must be immediately self-isolated instead of being allowed to collect their clothes or shop before they can begin their quarantine, especially at their own homes.
 
“And, for those who are self-isolating, they must be disciplined to physically distance themselves from family, friends and co-workers during the mandatory 14-day period.
 
“During this period, the infected person can easily spread it, especially if such individuals enter shopping areas to purchase groceries before beginning their quarantine,” he told The Vibes.
 
Phee said that the process needs to be revised so that those who test positive are quickly confined either at low-risk centres or at their homes.
 
“If they require food, they should notify the authorities and we can send it to them.
 
“They should not be allowed to go shopping for items needed for their quarantine and only then are they fitted with the bracelets,” said Phee.
 
He said this was being allowed because many had pleaded to be given time to ready themselves for self-isolation.
 
“We will also inform the health authorities that they cannot be too dependent on the MySejahtera app for contract tracing and observing those under quarantine. 
 
“We need to be proactive and devise our own surveillance system to compliment the digital tracing that MySejahtera offers.”
 
Penang recorded another 895 news cases today and 18 deaths, including one brought in dead.
 
The island has to date recorded 128,532 cases and 1,315 deaths.
 
The number of patients in intensive care throughout the state, including at mobile field hospitals, is at 92% (82 patients) while 54 patients (75%) required breathing support.
 
Meanwhile, doctors are asking for more living amenities in healthcare facilities as many do not return home to sleep.
 
They are asking for mattresses and beds to be installed at Penang Hospital and field hospitals.
 
Phee also said there is a need to ensure better preventive measures to accompany the ramping up of vaccinations to fight the pandemic.
 
Penang has engaged traditional medicine practitioners to assist with the supply of some medications that could help in the fight. – The Vibes, September 29, 2021