(KPL) The National Taskforce Committee on Covid-19 Prevention and Control has urged officials at quarantine centres across the country to take greater part in surveillance and monitoring of the quarantined to make sure they complete their mandatory 14-day quarantine.

“If you see anyone escaping the quarantine centres, you must inform the relevant authorities immediately so that they can be brought back to be quarantined, track down those in close contact with them and have their samples tested,” said Dr Sisavath Southanilaxay, Deputy Director, Department of Communicable Disease Control, Ministry of Health.

He said that relevant authorities at all levels seeing anyone illegally entering the country shall inform relevant authorities so that prompt measures can be taken and their specimens taken for testing.

“Right now our neighbouring countries are encountering new wave of Covid-19 outbreak because migrant workers have avoided mandatory 14-day quarantine requirements. They escaped quarantine centres, and visited entertainment places which are usually packed with people and other places in cities resulting in large scale infections,” Dr Sisavath told a press conference on Feb 25.

Since January 2020, 112,150 people have been tested and only 45 of them have tested positive to Covid-19 including 41 recoveries and three active cases, according to Dr Sisavath Soutthanilaxay.

KPL