KKIA screening all international flight passengers

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Poon and Dr Christina inspecting the facilities and procedures of the Health Ministry that are emplaced at KKIA yesterday morning.

KOTA KINABALU: Kota Kinabalu International Airport (KKIA) has been switched to high alert mode to scan all international flight passengers entering Sabah.

Minister of Health and People’s Well-being Sabah Datuk Frankie Poon went to the Kota Kinabalu International Airport at 3am yesterday accompanied by State Health Director Datuk Dr Christina Rundi and her officersto inspect the facilities and procedures of the Health Ministry that are emplaced at KKIA.

“Members of the public are very concerned with the outbreak of coronavirus and I want to know first-hand and to experience the inspection procedures to ensure that all international passengers and crew members are duly scanned by the thermo scanner at the KKIA before immigration clearance.

“In fact, we started screening at the disembarking point after the aerobrige before the immigration clearance areas for flights from Wuhan with effect from January 4, this year.

“Chinese New Year is approaching. It is expected that there will be many locals returning to celebrate Chinese New Year from overseas and many overseas visitors coming to Sabah (especially those from China).

Therefore, these extra vigilant measures are necessary in view of the recent outbreak of coronavirus in Wuhan.

“Isolation will be carried out immediately once a suspected condition is discovered or detected in a passenger in order to prevent or avoid the spread of any virus,” said Poon in his Facebook post.

Members the public are advised not to panic but be vigilant and to adopt preventive measures in their daily lives such as wearing a proper face mask, regular handwashing with soap with clean water and avoid overcrowded areas.