TWO experts want sterner action against overseas returnees who flout home quarantine standard operating procedures (SOP), including heftier fines and mandatory imprisonment.
Virologist Prof Emeritus Datuk Dr Lam Sai Kit said because these people are irresponsible and pose a health threat to the public, they should face the full force of the law.
“Anyone who contravenes the mandatory quarantine SOP faces a compound of RM1,000 or can be charged in court. Unfortunately, despite punitive action by the government, there are still returnees flouting the SOP.”
Lam pointed out in the last two weeks, overseas returnees have been seen socialising, dining out as well as visiting relatives and friends. It is not easy for the government to keep track of them, with so many on home quarantine.
He cited the case of returnees from Covid-19 hotspots, such as the Malaysian who returned from Novgorod in Russia, whose initial screening came back negative for Covid-19 but started experiencing symptoms two days into self-quarantine and eventually infected his father.
“I welcome the government’s decision to scrap home quarantine effective July 24 because of the possibility of another outbreak of Covid-19 infections as the daily number of new cases have returned to double digits,” he told China Press.
Lam said home quarantine was earlier allowed for returnees out of empathy for them as they had been stranded for a long period due to lockdowns in their host countries.
Meanwhile, Universiti Putra Malaysia medical epidemiologist and biostatistician Assoc Prof Dr Malina Osman said home quarantine flouters should be sent straight to government quarantine centres, and fined.
“They have committed an offence if they have not followed the SOP and could be carrying the virus, thus becoming potential spreaders,” she said, adding that bringing back mandatory quarantine at government centres is the correct decision.
Read this story in theSun’s iPaper:
Call for sterner action against returnees flouting home quarantine
