53,571 industrial workers in Selangor positive for Covid since July

The Selangor state assembly was today told that 53,571 industrial workers have tested positive for Covid-19 since July through screening conducted at their respective workplaces.

Menteri Besar Amirudin Shari said the screenings were carried out through employers in preparation before entering the workplace, as well as for close contact with positive co-workers and self-screening by employees themselves at private health facilities.

“Of the total, 62% or 33,214 people were from the manufacturing sector; 14.5% (7,768 people) were from the service sector; 13.5% (7,232 people) were from the construction sector and 10% (5,357 people) were from the trade sector.

“Roughly, the number covers 17.1% of positive cases identified in Selangor who are workers from the industrial sector,” he said in his reply to a question from Ahmad Yunus Hairi (PAS-Sijangkang), who wanted to know the number of individuals suspected of being infected while working in the industrial sector.

Meanwhile, Amirudin said a total of 79 factories in the manufacturing sector had been ordered to close under Section 18 (1)(f) of the Prevention and Control of Infectious Diseases Act 1988.

These factories were found to have committed three or more offences that violated the SOPs of the act from July 13 until Aug 23.

“The closure orders were issued for a period of seven days and the owners were also given work instructions as well as improvements that needed to be completed during the closure period,” he said.