Factories in EMCO areas not required by MITI to do twice-weekly Covid-19 tests on staff

KUALA LUMPUR (July 23): The Ministry of International Trade and Industry (MITI) has reversed its earlier decision to order manufacturers which operate in localities that were placed under EMCO to conduct Covid-19 tests on their employees twice a week.

Updated guidelines by the ministry show that the requirement for biweekly tests has been removed. However, it is compulsory to conduct tests on workers with symptoms.

It is understood that the National Security Council has in a special meeting decided this.

It was reported last Monday that MITI had made it compulsory for workers employed by manufacturers in areas of Selangor under the EMCO, which was lifted on July 16, to be tested twice a week using the Antigen Rapid Test Kit (RTK-Ag) to detect infected workers.

"The move is deemed (to be) able to identify Covid-19 infections earlier besides to ensure that only workers who have been confirmed to have tested negative (for SARS-CoV-2) are allowed to be present at the workplace.

"Employers need to cooperate and be responsible for the entire (Covid-19) screening cost," said Senior Minister of International Trade and Industry Datuk Seri Mohamed Azmin Ali.

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