More than 500 people went for the targeted Covid-19 screening exercise conducted in Meru by the Selangor government.
The initiative was held for people living in four housing estates located near the area that is currently under the enhanced movement control order due to a high number of Covid-19 cases there.
Selangor Task Force for Covid-19 (STFC) chairman Datuk Seri Dr Dzulkefly Ahmad said the four housing areas had an estimated population of 1,190 residents.
Yesterday, some 530 people turned up for the free screening, about 50% of the total number of people there, said Dr Dzulkefly.
The area became a red zone after foreign employees of medical latex glove maker Top Glove Corporation Bhd tested positive and created the nation’s biggest infection group known as the Teratai cluster.
The state government’s screening exercise was jointly conducted by Selcare, the Klang district health office and non-governmental organisation IMAM Response and Relief Team (Imaret).
A subsidiary of Selgate Corporation Sdn Bhd, Selcare acts as the third party administrator for Selangor’s Skim Peduli Sihat, a healthcare programme owned by the Selangor state.When contacted, the state’s Selcare group of clinics’ general manager Mahdzir Ibrahim said there was quite a significant number of positive cases among those who had come for the screening.
“I cannot tell the exact numbers now as I have to first inform the state health department, the Health Ministry and the Mentri Besar, ’’ said Mahdzir, adding that Mentri Besar Datuk Seri Amirudin Shari would probably announce the number today.
Mahdzir added that those who turned up for the antigen rapid test (RTK-Ag) screening were aged between two and 70 years.
Meanwhile, Imaret volunteer Dr Munawwar Helmim, who was one of those on duty at the screening exercise, said the residents lined up for the test as early as 7.45am.
“We were initially concerned that people would not turn up because they were frightened or because it was a weekday and a working day.’’
He added that those who had turned up were well informed about the importance of being tested.
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