KUALA LUMPUR: A total of 8,940 healthcare workers (HCW) have contracted Covid-19 this year.
Health director-general Tan Sri Dr Noor Hisham Abdullah in a Facebook post said the number was increasing from 284 cases in Week 1 of 2022 to 3,343 cases in Week 6.
"As of Feb 16, 5,711 HCWs are absent from work due to positive Covid-19 and another 3,119 HCWs are absent from work due to being identified as close contacts.
"Altogether, this constituted about 3.1 per cent from the total workforce in the Health Ministry," he said.
He said the ministry has taken measures to ensure minimal disruption to its services and to care for Covid-19 patients and also non-Covid patients.
"In general, currently 93.3 per cent of the overall Covid-19 patients are under home isolation with follow-ups being carried out digitally.
"Necessary steps and adaptive policies were introduced based on current available data and practices in other countries.
"MoH is also working with private healthcare facilities to assist in the management of Covid-19 patients."
He added that at the moment 80.3 per cent HCW in the country have received their booster vaccination dose.