A KUALA Lumpur-based Pakistani barber who called on homes to offer his services during the lockdown period has tested positive for Covid-19.

Director-general of health Dr Noor Hisham Abdullah confirmed that the Titiwangsa health office was notified that the man, who lives in Setapak, has been sent for treatment at the Sg Buloh Hospital.

“Preliminary investigations revealed that although the barbershop where he worked was closed on March 18, he had been going door to door in the area where he lived offering haircut services,” Noor Hisham told a press conference today in Putrajaya.

The man was found to be infected yesterday when he submitted to the mandatory health test to resume work at the barbershop.

His 40 close contacts have been identified and screened. These were 25 people who were identified through the man’s phone contact list, four housemates and 15 customers, Noor Hisham said.

Investigations are ongoing to discover the source of the barber’s infection.

Barbershops and hair salons are allowed to open after an enforced shutdown since March 18.

Some 2,000 foreign workers are required to undergo Covid-19 tests before returning to work. – June 12, 2020.