Mohd Zaidi showing photos of some of the individuals that are required to present themselves to the Health Department.
KOTA KINABALU: Seventy-one people from Kampung Pondo in Pulau Gaya have still not come forward to the Health Department after they were tested positive of Covid-19.
Kota Kinabalu police chief ACP Mohd Zaidi Abdullah said the Health Department and the relevant authority managed to locate five individuals who were said to be at their home, oblivious that they were required to present themselves at the designated gathering area of the Covid-19 quarantine and treatment centre in the island on Tuesday (July 6).
Mohd Zaidi said the 71 people, all of whom are Bajau Laut (Palau), were wanted by the Health Department after they were tested positive for Covid-19 but failed to turn up as scheduled.
“Many of them were unreachable as they are undocumented and did not have proper phone number or official name,” he said at a press conference on Wednesday.
Mohd Zaidi said police and health officials have all their photographs and address given during an earlier swab test on the communities in Pulau Gaya.
He said out of the 71, 66 have yet to come forward and surrender themselves to the authorities.
“Based on our investigation and search for them, we found that many did not slip out to the mainland and therefore, we believe they are taking refuge with friends and family at nearby villages in Pulau Gaya.
“We also do not rule out the possibility that some of them might not even know that their results have come out positive, so now we are going house to house in all the villages in Pulau Gaya to find them,” he said.
He said police were also getting the help from the island’s community leaders and budget hotel operators in the city to find if any of these suspects were hiding there.
Meanwhile, Mohd Zaidi assured that no legal action will be taken against the 66 individuals for lack of documentation as the main focus is to quarantine and treat them for Covid-19.
“This is for the sake of safety not only for themselves but the whole community,” he said.
He said those who are currently on land can just go to the nearby police station in the city instead of returning to Pulau Gaya to reduce contact with the public.
Earlier, Sabah Police Commissioner Datuk Hazani Ghazali said ten of the 69 people who had fled from their village at Kampung Pondo to avoid being tested and quarantined for Covid-19 were recaptured by police on Wednesday.
Hazani said the 69 people had fled from their village after they were believed to have come in close contact with Covid-19 patients.
“They (69 people) were supposed to follow health officials for further swab tests and quarantine, but when authorities arrived at Kg Pondo on Tuesday to bring them to a quarantine and treatment centre, they were nowhere to be found.
“A search was immediately mounted and we managed to recapture 10 of them at their work places,” he said, adding that the 10 were fishmongers and market workers.
Hazani said security forces were searching for the remaining 59, both on land and at sea.
“We have intensified patrol operations along the main routes from the water village but because this area is vast, it is difficult to search for them,” he said, adding that the police have mobilised teams to monitor the area round the clock for any sign of the escapees.
Hazani also issued a warning to the escapees to return to the island and report to the authorities if they do not want to face legal action.
Kg Pondo is among four villages within Pulau Gaya which will be under the enhanced movement control order (EMCO) starting July 8.
The other three villages are Kg Kasuapan, Kg Lok Urai and Kg Pulau Gaya.
There are currently 215 Covid-19 cases reported in the areas as of July 6.