COVID-19: Perak JKN tracing close contacts of health staff detected positive

IPOH, Aug 8 -- The Perak State Health Department (JKN) is tracing and conducting COVID-19 screenings on all close contacts including patients who were treated by a healthcare worker at a clinic here.

State Health director Datuk Dr Ding Lay Ming said the measure was taken after the staff was detected positive yesterday.

She said the nurse was tested after she showed symptoms of respiratory tract infection at a health clinic on Wednesday, before a COVID-19 Real-Time Reverse Transcription-Polymerase Chain Reaction (RT-PCR) test was found positive the next day.

"Currently, the staff in question has been admitted to the hospital to receive further treatment. A thorough investigation to determine the cause of the infection is still underway.

"Preliminary screenings of five family members living in the same house as the staff were found to be negative for COVID-19," she said in a statement here tonight.

Dr Ding said the department took note of a viral message on social media posted by a man venting his anger at the health facility for allowing the health staff to work despite having symptoms of respiratory tract infection.

The man in a Facebook post earlier today stated that his wife and child were asked to undergo COVID-19 tests after a health worker who was on duty at the facility had tested positive.

He also claimed that the nurse in question had done a routine check-up on his son.

Commenting further, Dr Ding said the health worker previously had symptoms of Influenza-Like Illness (ILI) and was not placed as a patient under investigation (PUI) for COVID-19.

“The staff also has no history of visiting areas that are under the (administrative) Enhanced Movement Control Order in Kedah, as well as of coming into close contact with any positive COVID-19 cases before.

"She has also been wearing a facemask and practising regular hand hygiene activities while doing her routine job," she added.

-- BERNAMA