PUTRAJAYA: Students returning from China will have to undergo mandatory health screening before resuming their studies, unless they have been in the country for more than 14 days, Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail said.
She said the Education Malaysia Division (BEM) would continue to carry out health screening for students according to the standard operating procedures (SOPs) approved by the health and education ministries.
Dr Wan Azizah said all 20 public higher education institutions in Malaysia have developed SOPs to mitigate the spread of Covid-19, while 17 private higher education institutions, including Xiamen University Malaysia, are reported to have their measures in place.
“To date, all students returning from China have undergone health screening and tested negative for Covid-19,” she told reporters after chairing National Disaster Management Agency’s (Nadma) high-level committee special meeting on the Covid-19 cluster today.
Dr Wan Azizah said Education Malaysia Beijing (EMB) in collaboration with Malaysian student associations in China had also developed the Covid-19 Overseas Students Management Dashboard to help monitor the presence of Malaysian students in China.
She also said the Education Ministry here had established a Covid-19 Cluster Management Committee operating from the BEM at the Higher Education Department.
“BEM, in collaboration with the Public Health Council of Malaysia and the Health Ministry has developed the ‘Preparatory Plan to Prevent Transmission of the Covid-19 for Malaysian Institutes of Higher Learning’.”
About 11,000 Chinese students are attending Malaysian education institutions.
On a related matter, Dr Wan Azizah said the Domestic Trade and Consumer Affairs Ministry would coordinate the supply of face masks from manufacturers and limit its exports.
She said Nadma would assist in the delivery of the masks to agency personnel working at the frontline.
MORE TO COME