Quarantine exemption for govt officials subject to prior application, risk assessment

The exemption of requirement for mandatory quarantine given to ministers and their delegates returning from official trips abroad is subject to strict conditions, including one requiring that the individuals had used a private jet during the trip.

Health director-general Dr Noor Hisham Abdullah said the officials must submit an application for such an exemption before the trip to enable health officials to conduct a risk assessment of their trip before granting it.

This follows the latest federal government gazette under the Prevention and Control of Infectious Disease (Exemption) Order 2021, exempting ministers who return from official visits abroad from being subjected to Section 15 of the act, which deals with the surveillance of contacts who could be ordered to undergo observation.

The order was signed by Health Minister Dr Adham Baba and will be in effect until Aug 1.

Meanwhile, Noor Hisham today said Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin had undergone a Covid-19 PCR test on Feb 3, one day before his trip to Indonesia.

He said another test was conducted on Feb 4 upon the prime minister’s arrival in Jakarta.

He said the following day, on the first day of his return to Malaysia, Muhyiddin was ordered to undergo home surveillance and to wear the mandatory wristband.

He said the prime minister took another swab test today, the fifth day since his first test.

“As such (Muhyiddin) is expected to complete the seven-day quarantine schedule,” he said, adding that Muhyiddin has another two days to go.