COVID-19 clusters linked to construction sites have been mushrooming, with more than 4,000 cases detected there.

Currently, there are about 30 such clusters in the country, mostly in the Klang Valley. 

The Construction Industry Development Board (CIDB) said as of December 17, 318 sites in operation had poor compliance with Covid-19 standard operating procedure.

Causes of infections from construction sites have largely been from close contacts to positive cases, as well as from movement of workers between sites. 

Apart from that, CIDB said poor living conditions and congested workers’ quarters led to the spike in cases. 

CIDB chief executive officer Ahmad Asri Abdul Hamid said all contractors must ensure their sites and workers’ quarters comply with the SOP.

All foreign workers working on projects in conditional movement-control order (CMCO) states must be screened to ensure they are not infected, he said.

“In addition to adherence to the National Security Council’s SOP, contractors are urged to comply with the Workers’ Minimum Standards of Housing and Amenities Act 1990 (Act 446) by arranging for accommodation and (the necessary) facilities for their workers,” he said. 

“SOP compliance is not only important to prevent Covid-19 but also to prevent losses for the contractors and clients in the long run,” he added. 

At present, Selangor, Kuala Lumpur, Sabah and Labuan are all under CMCO until year-end. 

In recent days, infections in Selangor and Kuala Lumpur have been rising, due to construction site clusters. 

CIDB said it would step up inspection at construction sites following the spike.

The board also warned that stop-work orders will be issued to contractors who failed to comply with the SOP. 

Additionally, they will also be subjected to disciplinary action, which includes a penalty, or a suspension or revocation of their registration. 

Meanwhile, Deputy Human Resources Minister Awang Hashim told The Malaysian Insight the ministry was aggressively enforcing Act 446.

“The ministry carries out enforcement aggressively when a new cluster emerges in a certain sector,” he said. 

“We will focus on all sectors to ensure employers enforce Act 446, especially when it involves foreign workers. It is the same with the construction sector.”

He said operations are ongoing and errant employers have been taken to court. 

The Damanlela construction site in Kuala Lumpur and Selangor saw the highest number of cases – more than 2,600 as of Wednesday. – December 25, 2020.