CRAMPED living spaces and the tabligh cluster have been identified as some of the main causes for the spread of Covid-19 among migrants, said Health director-general Dr Noor Hisham Abdullah.

“From our observations and investigation, one reason for infections among foreign workers is cramped accommodation,” he told reporters in Putrajaya today.

He said the Health Ministry is working with the Human Resources Ministry to resolve the issue.

Among the measures to be taken is the implementation of specific arrangements for workers’ accommodation under the Minimum Standards of Housing and Amenities (Amendment) Act from September 1.

“We also found that 285 documented and undocumented migrants attended the tabligh gathering.

“They also worked at the (Selayang) wholesale market; that’s where the infections started to spread,” he added.

Noor Hisham said the localised outbreaks were contained through the enforcement of the enhanced movement control order (EMCO) to isolate positive cases and quarantine the public.

He added there was no discrimination in terms of nationality or legal status when it came to treating patients and screening individuals.

He said the government also spent millions of ringgit to set up a makeshift hospital at the Malaysia Agro Exposition Park Serdang (MAEPS), where most undocumented migrants were treated.

Foreigners with legal documentation were allowed to go home once they were cleared of the virus, while undocumented migrants were sent to Immigration Detention centres, where cases were later detected.

The record-high number of cases detected in such centres occurred on June 4, in which 271 of 277 virus cases reported that day were found at the Bukit Jalil Immigration detention centre.

Noor Hisham said as the outbreak occurred at the depot, it was far easier to contain than if the same had happened in the community. – July 8, 2020.