List Covid-19 as infectious disease in Service Circular, Cuepacs urges govt
KUALA LUMPUR: The government has been urged to list Covid-19 as an infectious disease in its Service Circular so that parents nursing their infected children may use the quarantine leave facility to see to their children’s needs.
Congress of Unions of Employees in the Public and Civil Services Malaysia (Cuepacs) president Datuk Adnan Mat (pic) said this consideration would be especially beneficial to parents who are asymptomatic close contacts and have received their booster shots to qualify for the five-day quarantine leave.
This is because individuals in that category are no longer required to undergo quarantine according to the Health Ministry’s standard operating procedures (SOP).
However, he said, based on Service Circular No. 11/2016, quarantine leave is only provided to parents of children with infectious diseases including hand-foot-mouth disease, dengue, chicken pox and malaria but not Covid-19.
“As such, they cannot send their children to childcare, and it is difficult to manage their children. Cuepacs is requesting that quarantine leave be given to (at least) one parent to allow them to tend to their children until they fully regain their health.
“If leave is not provided, the head of service or department can consider allowing them to work from home and return to the office five days later,” he said recently.
Adnan said Cuepacs understood the importance of civil servants being in the field or at the office as they are required to be on duty to implement the government’s delivery system in the best way possible.
“So heads of service need to be smart in ensuring that the government delivery system remains unaffected even as infections occur,” he said.
On Feb 24, Health Minister Khairy Jamaluddin announced that individuals 18 and above who are close contacts of Covid-19 positive cases, who have received their booster doses and are asymptomatic on the first day need not undergo quarantine with effect from March 1. – Bernama