Top Glove told to screen over 2,000 workers living outside EMCO area

Top Glove Corporation Bhd has been instructed to conduct Covid-19 screenings for 2,263 of its employees living outside the designated enhanced movement control order (EMCO) area, as well as to ensure that they undergo quarantine for 14 days.

Senior Minister for Security Ismail Sabri Yaakob said this is to prevent the spread of the pandemic in community areas.

“Prior to this, they had dormitories for male and female workers and houses rented in areas where EMCO has been enforced, but many workers also live elsewhere. So we have instructed the company to screen these employees and quarantine them.

“Residents in the surrounding areas do not have to worry because Top Glove workers are screened and placed in quarantine centres,” he said at a press conference today.

Ismail said all Top Glove employees who test positive for Covid-19 are sent to hospital while those who test negative are quarantined at the Gold Coast Hotel in Klang Sentral, and the stadium in Pandamaran.

He added that a task force has been set up to coordinate the process of screening and quarantining workers as well as closing Top Glove factories. The task force involves the state-level National Security Council, the Selangor health department, the Klang district office, the Klang municipal council, and the Klang district police headquarters.

“The government, in particular the health ministry and the special task force, will continuously monitor and evaluate the situation.

“The government has also ordered the company’s 28 factories to be closed in stages to allow workers to undergo screening tests and quarantine.

“As of yesterday, 20 factories were closed, and seven more were closed today. Another factory will follow,” he said.

He said as of Nov 24, 5,795 out of 11,215 employees had been screened, with 2,684 positive cases detected in the EMCO area.

“Yesterday, the cumulative number of cases nationwide was 2,188, and of that number, 1,623 cases were recorded in Selangor, with 1,511 Covid-19 positive cases from the cluster involving Top Glove factories,” he said.