Covid-19: Labuan taking extra precautions with returning umrah pilgrims

LABUAN: Healthcare personnel here are taking extra precautions against the possible spread of Covid-19 from returning umrah pilgrims.

Labuan Health Department director Dr Ismuni Bohari said the pilgrims are required to undergo mandatory polymerase chain reaction (PCR) testing before leaving for home.

"They are also required to undergo Covid-19 screening upon arrival and will be required to wear digital tracking devices throughout their home surveillance and quarantine periods,” he said on Wednesday (Dec 29).

Dr Ismuni said the home quarantine order could be cancelled and replaced with hotel quarantine if the houses of the pilgrims are not conducive for quarantine.

"Our healthcare personnel will visit and conduct the necessary checks at their houses.

"If the houses meet requirements, we will allow the pilgrims to undergo home quarantine. If not, they will have to undergo quarantine in a hotel,” he added.

Dr Ismuni said healthcare teams are on standby at Labuan Airport and at the two ferry terminals to monitor the inflow of umrah pilgrims to the duty-free island.

Prior to this, Health Minister Khairy Jamaluddin had said travellers arriving from Saudi Arabia would be required to wear digital tracking devices throughout their home surveillance and quarantine periods.

He said this was because of the increasing spread of the Covid-19 Omicron variant in Malaysia, with most cases involving individuals who returned from their umrah pilgrimage in the kingdom.

He also said 10 countries have been identified as high-risk Covid-19 countries: the United Kingdom, United States, Denmark, Australia, France, Norway, Canada, India, Nigeria and Saudi Arabia.

Returnees from any of these countries are required to wear tracking devices.

Khairy said this was necessary to control the spread of the coronavirus as the ministry found some individuals allowed to undergo home quarantine had failed to comply with the directive, mingling with family members and even receiving guests while under quarantine. – Bernama