KUALA LUMPUR, Feb 18 — The World Health Organization (WHO) has congratulated Malaysia on its preparedness and response in managing novel coronavirus infections, Dzulkefly Ahmad said today.
Dzulkefly, who held a teleconference with WHO director-general Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus today, said the United Nations public health body also held Malaysia’s public health capacity in high regard.
“WHO proposed that Malaysia continues to strengthen influenza surveillance by conducting Covid-19 tests among patients with severe acute respiratory infection (SARI),” Dzulkefly said in a statement.
“The Ministry of Health (MOH) informed WHO that Malaysia has already extended respiratory tract infections surveillance to include the Covid-19 testing.”
Dzulkefly also said all 107 Malaysians and their family members who were evacuated from Wuhan, China, would be allowed to return to their homes upon completion of their quarantine at the Higher Education Leadership Academy (Akademi Kepimpinan Pendidikan Tinggi – AKEPT) in Negri Sembilan.
“All repeated Covid-19 tests were found to be negative.”
Only one individual was admitted to hospital for a health problem.
Two Covid-19 cases — a nine-year-old Malaysian boy and his father, a 45-year-old Malaysian — were also allowed to return home today after they recovered from the viral infection upon treatment at Tuanku Jaafar Hospital, Seremban.
As of today, 11 coronavirus patients have been discharged from hospital after recovery.
The total cumulative confirmed Covid-19 cases in Malaysia remains at 22, with eleven patients still receiving treatment in hospital. Fifteen are Chinese nationals, six are Malaysians, and one is an American.
