KUALA LUMPUR: The Health Ministry has denied issuing directives for parents and students who had visited Kubang Pasu, Kedah during this Hari Raya Haji holidays to get themselves tested.
In a statement today, Health director-general Datuk Dr Noor Hisham Abdullah said at no time did the ministry issue such directive to anyone.
"As we mentioned before, only those who have a close contact history with any positive Covid-19 cases, residents living in the enhanced movement control order vicinity including everyone living within a 1km radius of the Nasi Kandar Salleh restaurant and those close by, those who had have visited the eatery or have come in contact with the workers at the restaurant or anyone from the Sivagangga Cluster were primarily asked to test themselves.
"Among others who will be tested for Covid-19 are those people living at the EMCO restriction areas in Pekan Napoh (Mukim Hosba, Kubang Pasu); Kampung Pida Satu, Megat Dewa (Mukim Ah, Kubang Pasu); Kampung Bendang Dalam (Mukim Binjal, Kubang Pasu); Kampung Ulu, Padang Sanai (Padang Terap)," he said.
He said only those who had visited the restaurant between July 13 to 27 and those who had experienced any of the symptoms, such as fever and difficulty in breathing primarily, must get themselves tested.
Dr Noor Hisham earlier said that 7,000 residents from the EMCO area will be tested for Covid-19 in stages to make sure there will not be any further spread of the infection outside the EMCO areas.
He said the Sivagangga cluster was caused by an individual who returned from India and flouted the home quarantine order.