Viral video of MAEPS Covid-19 quarantine centre is confusing, says Nadma

KUALA LUMPUR (Bernama): A viral video showing congestion at the Covid-19 Quarantine and Low-Risk Treatment Centre at the Malaysia Agro Exposition Park Serdang (MAEPS) does not reflect the real situation, says the National Disaster Management Agency (Nadma).

Its corporate communication unit head Nur Daliza Dohat said the video did not show the overall picture of the hall, where the Covid-19 patients are accommodated, and there was no information provided.

She said the centre at MAEPS now has 8,000 beds and it is capable of accommodating up to 10,000 beds.

"As of midnight Jan 8, there were 2,863 patients, meaning there were still 5,137 beds empty.

"The situation provided in the viral video, which showed the centre being supposedly congested is confusing. What is shown in the video is a normal situation during the daily discharge process, ” she said.

She said although there was no partition in the hall, physical distancing of the Covid-19 patients was carried out according to the prescribed standard operating procedures (SOP).

The absence of the partition enables workers at the centre to monitor the patients effectively, she said, adding that there are currently 1,170 workers from various agencies on duty at the centre at MAEPS.

MAEPS was reactivated as a quarantine centre on Dec 9 after it was closed on July 15. It was first opened on April 16.

It was reactivated to place asymptomatic Covid-19 patients to ensure adequate hospital beds for symptomatic patients.

Meanwhile, Nur Daliza said the cumulative number of Covid-19 patients placed at the centre since its opening was 19,121 people, comprising 18,362 men and 759 women.- Bernama