MENARA City One residents have refuted director-general of health Dr Noor Hisham Abdullah’s explanation about the mass testing chaos at the apartment complex last night.

In a joint statement, the residents and the management denied Block B residents turned up en masse to a screening supposedly for Block A residents only.

They said they requested the screening to be staggered floor by floor.

However, they said residents from multiple units and floors were all called for screening at the same time.

They said that the first time such an incident occurred was on April 8 and the method used by the health ministry last night clearly contradicted its own guidelines of social distancing.

“In general, we are extremely disappointed on how the health ministry is conducting these screening sessions.

“Despite the pleas, requests and demands made by the management corporation (MC) and the building management on staggered floor-by-floor/unit-by-unit screening, the chaotic screenings sessions had happened twice.

“The mass screening sessions on April 8 and April 24 were crystal-clear proof that the authorities jeopardised the health and safety of the residents.

“We deny there were massive numbers of Block B residents who came for the screening intended for Block A as mentioned by Noor Hisham,” the residents and management said, adding that at a point, there were hundreds of people queuing regardless of risk factors, such as travel history to high risk countries or close contact with confirmed Covid-19 patients.

Earlier today, Noor Hisham said Covid-19 checks were supposed to have been for residents from Block A but residents from both blocks responded to the call to be tested.

Moving forward, the management and residents requested the ministry be more transparent with its plans for screenings and suggested it be assisted by the residents’ and management committees where necessary.

They also requested door-to-door tests, because otherwise residents risk exposure to people infected with the virus.

Menara City One was the first high-rise residential area to come under an enhanced movement control order (MCO) in the capital, which started on March 31 at the complex on Jalan Munshi Abdullah, involving 3,200 residents in 502 units.

To date, Menara City One has had 51 cases and one death from Covid-19. – April 25, 2020.