Johor briefs tourism industry players, steps up screening at entry points

CORONAVIRUS | Tourism industry players in the state have been briefed on the coronavirus situation, said Johor Tourism, Women, Family and Community Development Committee chairperson Liow Cai Tung.

The briefing was conducted by the Johor Health Department, which, among others, provided guidance to tourism industry players in handling tourists, especially from China, she said.

“At the same time, I urge the public and tour guides to be alert in the face of this situation, such as wearing masks,” she told reporters after attending a Chinese New Year celebration at the Fo Guang Shan Hsing Ma Temple in Johor Baru today.

Liow, meanwhile, said it was too early to say the pandemic would affect Visit Malaysia 2020 and Visit Johor 2020.

“Whether or not tourist arrival is affected, we have to see how long this virus persists. However, the state government is monitoring the development so that we are kept informed of the latest status,” she said, adding that body temperature scanners have been installed at 12 entry points to monitor visitors entering the state.

Today, Health Minister Dr Dzulkefly Ahmad reportedly said three Chinese nationals who had entered Malaysia via Johor from Singapore on Thursday, tested positive for coronavirus.

They are close family members of a 66-year-old man and his son from Wuhan, China, who have been recorded as the first two positive cases for the virus in Singapore.

Dzulkefly said the three were a 65-year-old woman, the wife of the 66-year-old patient in Singapore, and their two grandsons, aged two and 11.

They are being monitored at Sungai Buloh Hospital, Selangor. — Bernama

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