Medical personnel carrying out the ACD at The Spring Shopping Mall in Kuching today.
KUCHING (May 27): An urgent Covid-19 active case detection (ACD) operation was held at The Spring Shopping Mall today after more than 40 workers tested positive for the virus, said Housing and Local Government Minister Dato Sri Dr Sim Kui Hian.
He said in a Facebook post that the cases required all family members, colleagues, relatives and friends, who are close contact of those infected over the last 14 days, to be assessed and screened for the virus.
“Please self-quarantine till swab results are out in order not to spread to others, in case you are positive and have no symptoms,” he urged the close contacts of those who had been infected.
The Sarawak Disaster Management Committee advisor also urged the Health Ministry to come out with strict standard operating procedures (SOP) for places where Covid-19 cases had been detected.
He said the ministry must clearly spell out if these premises should be closed for disinfection, all employees must be assessed for Covid-19 risk and tested, whether workers must self-quarantine until they get their test results, and if disinfection should be done by an accredited company with the ministry’s approved disinfectants.
Separately, The Spring Shopping Mall said on its Facebook page that it collaborated with the Ministry of Health to conduct the mass swab test for all employees and retailers as part of their contribution towards fighting the Covid-19 virus today.
The popular mall said it had always taken the health, safety and overall well being of their people seriously.
“Therefore, we as a company are committed to our role in this community to do what’s right. We believe it is our duty to assure you and let you know what steps and actions our team is taking to prioritize your well-being whilst ensuring the business continuity for our retailers,” the mall said.
It also apologised to shoppers who had been asked to take the swab test as there was a miscommunication with the authorities involved.
The mall announced that it had initiated a temporary closure.