KUALA LUMPUR: The health ministry has reminded those intending to visit Langkawi under the tourism bubble pilot project to always practise the new normal and continue to adhere to standard operating procedures (SOPs).
On the part of the federal and state health authorities, they are ready with additional medical facilities to handle any spike in Covid-19 cases, if it happens.
In an effort to find a balance between public health safety and economic survival, health director-general Dr Noor Hisham Abdullah urged everyone to play their role to ensure no surge in Covid-19 infections will occur at the island resort.
“Your cooperation is very much needed,” said Noor Hisham in his Facebook posting.
Previously, tourism, arts and culture minister Nancy Sukri announced that domestic tourists who fulfil the SOP criteria, including states in Phase One of the national recovery plan (NRP) are allowed to visit Langkawi beginning Sept 16.
Following this, Noor Hisham said the Kedah health department had increased the capacity and preparedness of the Sultanah Maliha Hospital (HSM) in facing the possibility of a spike in Covid-19 cases on the island which may require hospital and intensive care unit (ICU) admissions.
HSM is a hybrid hospital, providing 79 beds for treatment of Covid-19 patients and 142 beds for other cases.
Noor Hisham said with the setting up of the Covid-19 Low-risk Treatment and Quarantine Centre at the Langkawi International Shooting Range Malaysia (i-PKRC LISRAM) last month, 60 additional beds had been provided to treat Category 1, 2 and 3 low-risk patients.
“As for the ICU, eight additional beds were re-purposed, taking the total to 13 beds. Nine of them are reserved for Covid-19 patients,” he said.
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