KUALA LUMPUR: A total of 13,149 detainees and staff at immigration detention centres nationwide have been tested for Covid-19, of whom 782 tested positive.
Health director-general Datuk Dr Noor Hisham Abdullah said 11,564 of these samples taken from the centres had tested negative for the virus, while another 803 samples were still waiting for their test results.
"Out of the 782 people who were positive, seven are Malaysian citizens while 775 are foreigners."
The 803 samples still waiting for their test results comprise 611 people in centres in Selangor, Penang (106), Sabah (77) and nine samples in Kuala Lumpur and Putrajaya, respectively.
Dr Noor Hisham said detention centres were identified as high-risk zones for Covid-19 after reports of the viru sinfection among detainees.
The Covid-19 screening at detention centres was part of the government's targeted approach towards high-risk groups.
Dr Noor Hisham said the screening processes included tests which need to be conducted on new detainees.
"The process also involves detainees who are being transferred from one detention centre to another. Samples must also be taken from detainees who are slated to be sent back to their country of origin."
He said all staff working at these detention centres must also undergo tests. He said these Covid-19 tests were also done randomly by the district or state health department for risk evaluation purposes.
"Cases identified with Covid-19 will be isolated and admitted into the hospital for treatment and undergo an active case detection screening process."