Allow Employees To Quarantine Or We’ll Shut Down Your Business, Health Minister Tells Employers
Dr Adham Baba said that the law requires close contact employees to isolate themselves.
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Employers must allow for employees to self quarantine while waiting for their Covid-19 test results or authorities will shut down their premise, according to Health Minister Datuk Dr Adham Baba.
He said that this is possible through the General Standard Operation Procedures and the General Guidelines on the Approval of Operations Movement of Company Employees during movement control order (MCO) issued by the International Trade and Industry Ministry (MITI).
If employers do not allow quarantines, the condition states that the police and the Health Ministry, based on the authority given, can order the immediate closure of their premises. Non-compliance by employers must be reported to the police.
Health Minister Datuk Dr Adham Baba via Malay Mail
The Health Minister also said that the self-quarantine is required if the employee is deemed a close contact and added that it applies to those who voluntarily quarantine themselves after receiving Covid-19 negative results.
Article 34 of the condition states that if there are any employees under the Health Ministry’s observation or under placed under home observation, the employee is not allowed to come to work and is required to undergo a quarantine period set by the ministry.
Dr Adham said that companies must give their cooperation in implementing contact tracing of employees and contact management, and the employee is not allowed to work and will be required to be quarantined.
The Star also reported that Act 342 can be used to penalise errant employers who insist on asking their employee to physically attend work.
Workers who have been classified as a close contact will be under the home surveillance order for 10 days and they will be given quarantine wristbands. If their swab test comes out negative, they must still remain under isolation for 10 days.
Health Minister Datuk Dr Adham Baba via The Star
Dr Adham said that the reminder is given to employers as workplace-linked Covid-19 clusters have risen recently, with 44 clusters recorded between 2 May and 8 May, compared to 24 clusters for the period of 25 April to 1 May which is an 83.3% increase.
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