BAYAN LEPAS: Nearly 2,000 foreign workers staying in a hotel-turned-workers hostel near here were affixed with the pink wristbands since last night.
They are believed to be working in four manufacturing facilities here, which have reported at least one positive Covid-19 case in recent days.
Checks by the New Straits Times at the workers hostel last night showed at least 14 women, believed to be foreigners, being whisked away in a Health Ministry van and two ambulances.
They were being handled by health workers in full personal protective gear.
The workers hostel management, equipped in personal protective equipment, was also at hand to assist in the process.
Each ambulance already had people inside. The NST learnt that those inside the ambulance had just been picked up after they were tested positive for Covid-19 in the southwest district.
It took health workers about three hours from 8pm to put the pink wristbands on all the foreign workers.
The NST was told that the workers hostel has been placed under quarantine.
A check on the My Sejahtera mobile application showed there were 37 positive Covid-19 cases within a 1km radius surrounding Medan Kampung Relau here in the past 14 days.
Nearby residents and businesses claimed they had seen ambulance entering and exiting the area since last week.
Yesterday the government made it compulsory for all foreign workers in the country to undergo Covid-19 screening.
Checks by the NST at the workers hostel this morning showed it was all quiet unlike the usual days where the foreign workers could be seen walking in and out in groups.
Meanwhile, a food operator, known only as Ina, in her 30s, said customers were mainly the foreign workers.
"However, I don't see any of them around today.
"I only open for breakfast and close up by 8am. It is 9.30am now and I am still trading and there is food left. Business has indeed dropped.
"I was told that it has got to do with positive Covid-19 cases nearby since last week. My neighbours saw several ambulance here in recent days," she said when met this morning.
Ina said she needed to trade to make ends meet but would do so cautiously and with great care.
"We are living from hand to mouth. So we need to continue doing business no matter what," she added.