PETALING JAYA: The government has been urged to launch a mass testing exercise to curb the spread of Covid-19.
DAP youth chief Howard Lee Chuan How (pix) said such a step would be effective in locating asymptomatic patients who may unknowingly be spreading the virus to others.
“People will know from the test if they are carriers or not. Those working in essential services but do not know if they are infected and are not staying at home may risk infecting others,” he said in a statement yesterday.
“It will help us to understand how the disease spreads so we can take the necessary steps to slow it down. Mass testing is key to stopping the spread of the virus,” he added.
Lee noted that a test for Covid-19 cost RM600 but if one is already identified as a person under investigation (PUI) the price drops to only RM1.
He pointed out that Canada and Australia, which have about the same number of cases as Malaysia, have already tested 113,000 people each, and they have “flattened the curve” in the Covid-19 spread.
He said few Malaysians can afford the RM600 to test for Covid-19.
“The Health Ministry should immediately embark on a mass testing exercise and the cost should be borne by the federal government,” he added.
