KUALA LUMPUR: All 164 crew on board the Royal Malaysian Navy’s (RMN) frigate KD Lekiu will be quarantined when they return from South Korea tomorrow.
An RMN statement said the 146 other ranks and 18 officers on board would be screened for the Covid-19 virus, as soon as the vessel docks at the RMN jetty in Kota Kinabalu, Sabah.
“As a proactive measure and to ensure their safety, the RMN will arrange for their blood samples to be taken by medical personnel from the Kota Kinabalu region’s Armed Forces Hospital, with the assistance from the Health Ministry.
“All the samples will be sent to the city’s Queen Elizabeth Hospital for analysis, which will take between four to 12 hours,” the statement said.
It added that during that period, all the affected crew would be quarantined on the vessel.
“Those who test positive for Covid-19 would be sent for follow-up treatment at the hospital, while the rest can return for duties,” it said.
KD Lekiu is returning from a 16-day journey to the Samsung Heavy Industries jetty in Geoje-Do, Busan where it had earlier escorted a Petronas Floating Liquefied Natural Gas 2 tanker.
It had departed Kota Kinabalu on Feb 5 and arrived at Busan on Feb 12.
KD Lekiu then left Busan on Feb 18 and returned to Kota Kinabalu for refuelling and replenishment of supplies, en route to the RMN base in Lumut, Perak.
“The vessel will return with the healthy crew to Lumut.
“However, these crew will be subject to a second screening, as a precaution, as soon as they arrive in Lumut,” it said.
The RMN advised family members of the KD Lekiu crew to be patient so that the appropriate health procedures are carried out expeditiously, for their well-being.