PUTRAJAYA has booked 45 three-star hotels for use as quarantine centres, said senior minister Ismail Sabri Yaakob.

He said the government is paying RM150 per day, including meals, for each individual quarantined.

“We have booked 45 hotels as quarantine centres. We will pay RM150 per day for each individual,” he said during his daily press conference in Putrajaya.

Ismail Sabri also refuted reports on Facebook claiming that certain individuals were sent to high-end hotels instead of the hotels booked by the government.

“I saw posts on social media yesterday saying that some people are sent to five-star hotels. This is not true. The government is not doing that,” said the defence minister.

Ismail said any individual can choose to stay at a different hotel if they are willing to pay for the cost.

“If a person wants to stay at a different place, he can, given that he is willing to pay for the cost. We are only paying for these 45 hotels.

“However, even if he wants to stay at a different hotel, he can’t choose the hotel. The government will choose for him. This is to make our screening and health check work easier,” he said.

As for foreign diplomats, he said that the embassies are paying for their own representatives.

“Diplomats have to be quarantined too, and the costs are paid by their embassies,” he said. – April 7, 2020.