Ismail Sabri: 98 KD Mahawangsa crew members test positive for Covid-19

KUALA LUMPUR (Bernama): The Defence Ministry (Mindef) has confirmed that 98 crewmen of the Royal Malaysian Navy ship, KD Mahawangsa, tested positive for Covid-19.

Defence Minister Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob said the crew had taken the RTK Antigen test before boarding the ship but were confirmed positive for Covid-19 after a few days onboard the ship.

"So far, they were not showing any symptoms, but we have isolated them and placed all of them under quarantine.

"InsyaAllah, after 10 days (of quarantine), they will take the PCR test, and if the results came back negative, then they will be allowed to disembark, ” he told a press conference after visiting the drive-through vaccination centre at the Sungai Besi military camp here Tuesday (June 8).

Also present were Health Minister Datuk Seri Dr Adham Baba and Chief of Defence Force General Tan Sri Affendi Buang.

Ismail Sabri said the ministry had yet to ascertain how the crew of the ship were infected with the coronavirus.

"As we know, Covid-19 is in the community. These crewmen must have been infected with Covid-19 before they boarded the ship, probably when they were at home or while buying groceries at a supermarket, ” he said.

Meanwhile, the Senior Minister said he was in the midst of discussing with the Covid-19 Vaccine Supply Access Guarantee Special Committee the possibility to allow Mindef to get the vaccine supply directly from Pharmaniaga Berhad, which is responsible for bottling the Sinovac vaccine.

He said by doing so, the herd immunity for military personnel and civil servants under Mindef, as well as their families, could be achieved faster.

"Overall, we have 500, 000 personnel including their families and we target 200, 000 to be vaccinated per month to enable us to achieve herd immunity within three months, ” he added. - Bernama