Page 105 - MALAYSIA HEALTH SECTOR RESPONSE TO COVID-19 PANDEMIC: PERSPECTIVES FROM THE FIELD

• Older adults
• ILI and SARI cases
• Undocumented migrants
• Hospital referral patients
• HCWs
• Enforcement personnel

Active and passive contact tracing of close contacts were aggressively
conducted. Individuals diagnosed with COVID-19 or close contacts of the
positive cases were isolated and admitted to hospitals or quarantine
centres. Asymptomatic close contacts of the confirmed COVID-19 cases
were tested and monitored through a home surveillance order for 14 days,
starting from their last contact with the confirmed case. As of 14th
December 2020, this quarantine period had been shortened from 14 to 10
days 25-27 .

The COVID-19 pandemic in Sabah was disastrous as it had spread within the
community. Those districts such as Tawau, Kunak, Semporna, and Lahad
Datu, which reported a high number of confirmed COVID-19 cases at the
beginning of the third COVID-19 wave in Sabah, were first to be placed under
TEMCO on 29th September 2020 to contain the COVID-19 transmission from
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spreading to other districts (Figure 5.6). CMCO and EMCO were
implemented in other districts in the following weeks. On 13th October
2020, the whole Sabah was placed under CMCO as the COVID-19 cases
29
reported in the state kept soaring (Figure 5.7). Subsequently, EMCO was
implemented in several villages in the state based on the risk assessment
29
by MOH Malaysia .

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