Covid-19: Cops at Gombak HQ have undergone mass testing, says OCPD

GOMBAK: District police personnel here have undergone mass testing after several positive cases were found within the Gombak police housing area.

Responding to the announcement of a new cluster identified by the Health Ministry on Sunday (June 7), Gombak OCPD Asst Comm Arifai Tarawe said the first case was identified on May 18.

"The first case involved a 16-year-old child of a police personnel.

"Close contacts were tested, and all tested negative except the child's mother, who is also a policewoman, and a 17-year-old friend.

"Following that, contact tracing was conducted and around 200 officers and staff at the Gombak police headquarters were tested. All tested negative except one," he said in a statement on Sunday.

ACP Arifai added that sanitation operations were carried out at offices and homes.

"No new cases were reported – until June 6 when a senior officer who had just been transferred tested positive during a second testing.

"Immediate action was then taken to conduct another round of screenings on the officer's close contacts, and the Health Ministry has ordered that 12 people be put in quarantine pending the results," he said.

ACP Arifai assured the public those who tested positive were not among police staff who were dealing with the public.

"Sanitation, temperature monitoring, the use of hand sanitizers, face masks and social distancing are implemented," he said.