KUALA LUMPUR: Caregivers will be allowed to accompany children with Covid-19 as well as Covid-19 patients that require special care at hospital wards.
The caregivers must obtain a negative test result via Rapid Test Kit-Antigen (RTK-AG) before doing so, and must repeat the test if they display any symptoms and before returning home.
However, no visitors will be allowed for Covid-19 patients, except for end-of-life patients. Only two visitors will be allowed at one time and they are encouraged to self-test before visiting the patients.
Health director-general Tan Sri Dr Noor Hisham Abdullah said these new policies for caregivers and visitors at government hospitals during the transition to endemic phase will take effect on Saturday.
"Caregivers for non-Covid patients in wards as well as individuals that accompany pregnant mothers during labour must test negative for Covid-19 using the RTK-Ag self-test kits.
"Non-Covid patients, in general wards or intensive care units (ICU), including end-of-life patients, are also allowed to receive visitors. However, each patient can only receive two visitors at one time. The visitors are also encouraged to self-test for Covid-19 before making their visits.
"Only one caregiver will be allowed to accompany non-Covid patients at the outpatient and emergency departments. The caregivers are also encouraged to self-test for Covid-19 before going to the healthcare facilities.
"The new measures are taken after considering the importance of psychosocial support, especially from family members of patients, to assist in their recovery process," he said in a statement today.
Caregivers and visitors, he said, must also be 12 years old and above, fully-vaccinated against Covid-19 and must not be classified under any high-risk groups.
Caregivers that are required to take RTK-Ag tests must do so within 24 hours before arriving at the hospital.
They are also required to include the date and time of the test and snap a picture of the results as proof.
They should also not exhibit symptoms for Covid-19 and cannot be Persons Under Surveillance (PUS) that have been instructed to undergo quarantine.
"They should also fill up a Covid-19 declaration form, comply to all standard operating procedures (SOP) and wear the required personal protective equipment (PPE)," he added.
Dr Noor Hisham said hospitals, which are more prone to Covid-19 transmissions, can make necessary adjustments to these policies to ensure the health and safety of all parties.