THE Malaysian Association Tour Agency (MATA) has proposed that budget hotels in Malaysia be utilised as COVID-19 Low-Risk Quarantine and Treatment Centres (PKRC) for patients in Categories 1 to 3 COVID-19 infection.
This is taking into consideration that the PKRCs in Malaysia are already congested due to the increase in COVID-19 cases especially in the Klang Valley.
“Should COVID-19 patients in these categories be left to be quarantined at their respective residences, compliance with quarantine standard operating procedures (SOPs) is highly questionable.
“Are they compliant with the quarantine SOPs or are they free to leave their homes without supervision by the authorities?” MATA said in a statement.
The association further raised the question about COVID-19 patients living in crowded People’s Housing Projects (PPR) areas in a small, cramped space with other family members, and their compliance to quarantine SOPs.
“This will no doubt lead to new infections among the occupants and this will at the same time contribute to the high number of daily COVID-19 cases,” they said.
The country has been dealing with an increasing number of ‘brought in dead’ cases lately, whereby COVID-19 patients died at home without being given proper medical aid as in other PKRC centres.
“If these patients are quarantined in budget hotels, the spread of new cases can be curbed thanks to proper supervision by the authorities,” MATA concluded. – Aug 4, 2021.
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