KOTA KINABALU: All passengers including students returning to Sabah from other states have to undergo a 14-day quarantine at gazetted centres.
Sabah Health Department director Datuk Dr Christina Rundi said that the order began yesterday.
According to her, the new regulation was due to the increase in the number of cases in Sabah over the past few days involving those from other states and the compliance issue on home quarantine.
"The changes on standard operating procedures (SOP) have to be made to contain the infection," she said in a statement.
Sabah government has previously allowed some 12,000 students from peninsular Malaysia and Sarawak to be home quarantined provided that they have no symptoms and subject to evaluation from health personnel.
However, over the past three days, Sabah recorded a surge of 10 imported cases including two students, with some of them found flouting the home quarantine order.
It is also reported that three students in Tawau returning from Kuala Lumpur on May 1 and May 4 were likely to be charged for coming out from their houses during the home quarantine period.
A new cluster dubbed "IPT Sabah" has also been identified with three cases involving students from a local university here.
Dr Christina added while being quarantined, medical officers would make health evaluation for those who tested negative to complete their remaining quarantine period at home.
"However, the permission will still be up to the condition at home whether it is crowded or pose any infection risk to other residents especially high risk groups."