BAGAN SERAI, Feb 21 — The transmission of COVID-19 infections at Perak Matriculation College in Gopeng is under control, said Deputy Health Minister Datuk Dr Noor Azmi Ghazali.
He said a total of 365 cases have been reported involving residents in all its five residential blocks since Feb 7 so far, however, no new cases were reported yesterday.
He said the spread of the infection was believed to be caused by students who had just returned from the Chinese New Year festive holidays.
“However it has been handled well by the Gopeng district health office (PKD) and those who tested positive had been isolated from the beginning in staff quarters and guest rooms,” he told reporters after visiting the vaccination centre for the National COVID-19 Immunisation Programme for Children (PICKids) at Seri Selingsing hall in Gunung Semanggol here today.
Noor Azmi said to contain the spread of the virus, students were not allowed to return home and visitors including parents were not allowed to enter the college grounds.
Apart from that, he said Perak State Secretary’s office had delivered 100 beds to the college for its use with the help of the Malaysian Armed Forces.
“We will add more beds if needed, so far all positive cases are in categories one and two and several individuals were admitted to the Low-risk COVID-19 Quarantine and Treatment Centre (PKRC) due to other reasons,” he said adding that the situation is under control.
Asked about the concerns raised by netizens on Facebook regarding the face-to-face learning sessions that are still being conducted by the institution despite hundreds of cases being reported, Noor Azmi said parents need not worry because the Gopeng PKD had made a risk assessment before allowing the sessions to be carried out on the advice of the Ministry of Health (MOH).
