PUTRAJAYA: The implementation of the Conditional Movement Control Order (CMCO) since May 4 has had a positive impact on Malaysians as they account for only 22 per cent of the Covid-19 cases recorded during this period.
Health director-general Datuk Dr Noor Hisham Abdullah said most of the coronavirus cases during the period involved foreign workers and undocumented migrants.
"Most Malaysians adhere to SOPs (Standard Operating Procedures) under the CMCO. The question now is to address compliance among foreigners, as well as prevent outbreak at the Immigration detention centres.
"We are looking at improving SOPs at the detention centres and prisons. Some of the foreigners who contracted the virus were already at the depots before the MCO began.
"We are still investigating the cause and where the infection originated from.
"It is possible that they got it from new detainees or staff like the cleaners and caterers. We are looking at all angles," he told a press conference today.
He said it was crucial to prevent infections from taking root at detention centres by screening new detainees, with only those tested negative for Covid-19 to be placed in detention and those tested positive sent immediately to the hospital for treatment.
"We are working with the Immigration Department to address this. There is also the issue of illegal migrants; no one has done studies on how many illegal workers we have. The onus is on employers to ensure that their workers fulfil government requirements," he said.
He added that the Health Ministry was also working with other government agencies such as the Human Resources Ministry to address the housing issue faced by foreign workers, who are staying in cramped and small accommodations. This had made the prevention of Covid-19 infections difficult as the workers were always within close contact with their peers.