3 clusters detected, building firms reminded to take precautions

CORONAVIRUS | The Health Ministry has reminded construction firms to take precautions against Covid-19 after three clusters of the disease were discovered at construction sites.

Following investigations, the ministry’s director-general Dr Noor Hisham Abdullah said one of the main causes of the outbreaks is the workers’ cramped living quarters that make social distancing impractical.

In addition, the level of personal hygiene and the cleanliness in their environment is dissatisfactory.

“Employers are responsible for educating workers on good hygiene practices and prevention measures. They must ensure these practices are implemented not only at the workplace but it is also important to practice them at the workers’ quarters.

“These actions would reduce the risk of Covid-19 spreading from the quarters to the workplace and vice-versa,” he said at his daily media briefing at the ministry’s headquarters in Putrajaya today.

As part of precautions mandated by the National Security Council, Noor Hisham said 27,383 construction workers have been tested for Covid-19 to date particularly in red zones in Kuala Lumpur and Selangor.

The tests have revealed 88 Covid-19 cases at construction sites. Of these, a cluster involving 31 cases had been detected out of 488 people tested at a construction site in Kuala Lumpur.

At a different construction site in Kuala Lumpur, 44 cases had been detected while 306 people tested negative. At a construction site in Setia Alam, 13 people tested positive for Covid-19 and another 78 people tested negative.

The infected people comprise citizens of three different countries and one Malaysian.

Noor Hisham said the tests are a precaution and a broader approach is needed to tackle the disease at construction sites.

“Resolving the problem of migrant workers housing requires a comprehensive approach involving all parties.

“The NSC’s orders to screen all migrant workers at construction industries in Kuala Lumpur and Selangor is a precautionary measure that only provides the workers’ health status at that time only before being allowed to return to work.

“Preventive measures are more important in stemming the spread of the disease. Prevention is certainly better than cure,” he said.

Among others, he urged employers to ensure that facilities for hand-washing or hand sanitizers are made available at worksites and social distancing of at least one metre is maintained including at workspaces and eating areas.

The “Three C’s” (confined spaces, crowded places, and close conversations) are to be avoided while disinfection exercises should be carried out regularly especially at common spaces.

For the workers' living quarters, Noor Hisham said the workers’ beds should be spaced at least one to two metres apart and once again, the Three C’s are to be avoided.

Workers should avoid preparing or consuming food in groups, and crowding should be avoided in rest areas and TV rooms. The living areas and its surroundings should be kept clean through regular cleaning and disinfection, he added.

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