KOTA KINABALU: Sabah has expanded its thermal screening procedure on all passengers including those on domestic flights at every airport.
Prior to this, only international flights passengers were subjected to the temperature check following the recent 2019 novel coronavirus (2019-nCoV) outbreak.
Sabah Health and People's Wellbeing Minister Datuk Frankie Poon said all passengers entering Sabah via domestic flights from places such as Kuala Lumpur, Sarawak, Penang, Labuan and others would have to go through the temperature screening upon arrival.
“Sabah is the third most populated state in Malaysia, after Selangor and Johor. Things in Sabah is currently under control. Despite no confirmed case, we cannot take the matter lightly.
“We must be prepared for the epidemic,” he said in a statement, adding that all suspected cases would undergo further health examination while those with symptoms would be isolated.
The thermal screening procedure at the Kota Kinabalu International Airport for both domestic and international passengers commenced yesterday while the Tawau airport started today.
He added that the state Health Department had also deployed more staff to accommodate the additional workload.
Poon said Health Department officers at the airports would also distribute "Home Assessment Tool" to in-bound passengers on international flights for them to conduct self-assessment on their health.
“The tool also promotes ways to maintain personal hygiene and cleanliness. It also suggests those with fever, cough, sore throat or even breathing problems to seek medical advice from the nearest hospital.”