COMPULSORY COVID-19 SCREENING FOR ALL ESTATE WORKERS - MASIDI

15 JAN 2021

By Ruby Koh

KOTA KINABALU: All estate companies in Sabah are required by the State Government to send their workers for a Covid-19 screening.

In his daily Covid-19 briefing, Local Government and Housing Minister Datuk Masidi Manjun said this must be done as two new Covid-19 clusters reported today involved estated workers.

The two clusters are the 'Baturong Estate Cluster' in Kunak with 10 positive cases detected and 'Matamba Estate Cluster' in Lahad Datu where 20 individuals tested positive for the virus.

"The positive cases in the newly detected estate clusters are quite high ... Do not take lightly of this discovery which speaks volume in the need of compulsory Covid-19 for estate workers by the management (of estate companies).

"All employers are also instructed by the State Government to provide health facilities as well as Low-Risk Treatment and Quarantine Centres in their respective premises on the basis of social and welfare responsibilities of their workers," he said.

Masidi said although it can be costly, the result would have positive impact on the estate business.

"Consider this as your social responsibility because they are your workers. Of course it costs money but they are your workers and it is your responsibility to take care of them as long as they work for you," he stressed.