COVID-19 Screening for ship crews, oil and gas workers entering Labuan still a must

LABUAN (BERNAMA): COVID-19 screening for all ship crews and workers in the oil and gas-related sectors passing through this duty-free-island’s gazetted entry points, namely the two ferry terminals and Labuan Airport, is still mandatory, said Labuan Health Department director Dr Ismuni Bohari.

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He said the screening was mandatory as there was concern that possible infections from outsiders could potentially lead to a mass outbreak on the island.

“We are doing our job as empowered by the Federal Government, and it is our responsibility to safeguard the island from a mass outbreak,” he told Bernama.

He added that lately the shipping industry had requested that their crews forego COVID-19 screening but said Labuan, being an oil and gas hub, is frequently visited by foreign ship crews and workers and expatriates in the oil and gas-related sectors from outside of Labuan, and thus the COVID-19 tests are still necessary.

On the case of more than 40 candidates of the Sijil Pelajaran Malaysia (SPM) examination of a secondary school here who underwent COVID-19 tests on Saturday morning after one of the school’s teachers tested positive on Friday, Dr Ismuni said all had been confirmed free of the virus and were undergoing self-quarantine.

Labuan has recorded 2,194 cases as of Saturday with 13 deaths.

The financial hub still has 71 active cases with two patients in the intensive care unit (ICU).— BERNAMA

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